Rotavirus serotypes and electropherotypes identified among hospitalised children in São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil

Authors

  • Cláudia Regina N. E. Luz Universidade Federal do Maranhão; Hospital Universitário Materno Infantil
  • Joana D'Arc P. Mascarenhas Ministério da Saúde; Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde; Instituto Evandro Chagas
  • Yvone B. Gabbay Ministério da Saúde; Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde; Instituto Evandro Chagas
  • Ana Regina B. Motta Ministério da Saúde; Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde; Instituto Evandro Chagas
  • Telma Vitorina Ribeiro Lima Ministério da Saúde; Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde; Instituto Evandro Chagas
  • Luana da S. Soares Ministério da Saúde; Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde; Instituto Evandro Chagas
  • Alexandre C. Linhares Ministério da Saúde; Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde; Instituto Evandro Chagas

Keywords:

Rotavirus, Serotypes, Electropherotypes, Children

Abstract

During June 1997-June 1999 rotavirus infection was screened in infants aged up to 2 years and hospitalised with acute diarrhoea in São Luís, Northeastern Brazil. Altogether, 128 stool samples were collected from diarrhoeic patients and additional 122 faecal specimens from age- and- temporal matched inpatients without diarrhoea were obtained; rotavirus positivity rates for these groups were 32.0% (41/128) and 9.8% (12/122), respectively (p < 0.001). Both electropherotyping and serotyping could be performed in 42 (79.2%) of the 53 rotavirus-positive stool samples. Long and short electropherotypes were detected at similar rates - 38.1% and 40.5% of specimens, respectively. Overall, a G serotype could be assigned for 35 (83.3%) of specimens, the majority of them (66.7%) bearing G1-serotype specificity. Taking both electropherotypes and serotypes together, G1 rotavirus strains displaying long and short RNA patterns accounted for 30.9% and 19.0% of tested specimens, respectively; all G2 strains had short electropherotype. Rotavirus gastroenteritis was detected year-round and, in 1998, the incidence rates tended to be higher during the second semester than in the first semester: 45.2% and 26.1% (p = 0.13), respectively. Rotavirus infections peaked at the second semester of life with frequencies of 30.1% and 13.5% for diarrhoeic children and controls, respectively. While the six rotavirus strains bearing G2-type specificity were circulating throughout the whole study period, G1 serotypes (n = 27) emerged as from June 1998 onwards, 20 (74.1%) of which clustering in 1998. These data underscore the importance of rotaviruses in the aetiology of severe infantile gastroenteritis in Northeastern Brazil and sustain the concept that a future vaccine should confer protection against more than one serotype.

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Published

2005-10-01

Issue

Section

Virology

How to Cite

Luz, C. R. N. E., Mascarenhas, J. D. P., Gabbay, Y. B., Motta, A. R. B., Ribeiro Lima, T. V., Soares, L. da S., & Linhares, A. C. (2005). Rotavirus serotypes and electropherotypes identified among hospitalised children in São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil . Revista Do Instituto De Medicina Tropical De São Paulo, 47(5), 287-293. https://revistas.usp.br/rimtsp/article/view/30940