Rotavirus genotypes in children in the Basque Country (North of Spain): rapid and intense emergence of the G12[P8] genotype

Abstract

<jats:title>SUMMARY</jats:title><jats:p>Between July 2009 and June 2011, rotavirus was detected in 507 of 4597 episodes of acute gastroenteritis in children aged &lt;3 years in Gipuzkoa (Basque Country, Spain), of which the G-type was determined in 458 (90·3%). During the annual seasonal epidemic of 2010–2011, the unusual G-type 12 was predominant, causing 65% (145/223) of cases of rotavirus gastroenteritis. All the G12 strains were clustered in lineage III and were preferentially associated with P-type 8. This epidemic was characterized by broad geographical distribution (rural and urban) and, over 7 months, affected both infants and children, the most frequently affected being children between 4 and 24 months. Of children with rotavirus G12, 16% required hospital admission, the admission rate in children aged &lt;2 years being 20·7 cases/10 000 children. The sudden emergence and predominance of G12 rotaviruses documented in this winter outbreak suggest that they may soon become a major human rotavirus genotype.</jats:p>

Rotavirus Surveillance in Urban and Rural Areas of Niger, April 2010–March 2012

“…Other characteristics of the rotavirus cases during the second year of the study suggested that G12P[8]-associated diarrhea might be clinically slightly less severe than diarrhea caused by other strains. Only 1 previous study compared characteristics of a G12 epidemic with characteristics of previous epidemics in which G1 or G9 strains were dominant, and no difference in mean age and hospitalization rates was found ( 15 ). …”

“…Since 2000, the prevalence of G1 strains has been declining, and other genotypes, such as G9 and G12, have emerged ( 9 ). In Africa, G12 strains were first detected in southern Africa, mostly in association with P[6] ( 10 – 12 ), and G12P[8] recently emerged as a predominant strain in western Africa ( 13 , 14 ) and some regions of Spain ( 15 ), Argentina ( 16 ), and the United States ( 17 ). …”

Rotavirus Strain Trends During the Postlicensure Vaccine Era: United States, 2008–2013

“…G12 RVA are considered emerging human RVA strains, and the lineage III G12 allele has spread worldwide rapidly [18, 19]. Strain G12P[8] was associated with a large outbreak of pediatric gastroenteritis in Rochester in 2007 (an outbreak detected through the NSVN) [13], and this genotype has been reported recently in Niger [20], Spain [21], Nicaragua [22], Haiti [23], and Australia [24]. It appears that G12P[8] strains now are established in the United States.…”

Full genomic characterization of a novel genotype combination, G4P[14], of a human rotavirus strain from Barbados

“…In humans, there are at least five common G types (G1-G4 and G9), and three common P types (P[4], P[6] and P[8]) circulating worldwide (Banyai et al, 2012; Gentsch et al, 2005; Patel et al, 2011; Santos and Hoshino, 2005) Other previously uncommon G and P types (e.g., G5, G8, G12, P[14], P[19]) have been more frequently associated with human disease in the last decade (Chitambar et al, 2011; Cilla et al, 2012; Cunliffe et al, 2001; Esona et al, 2009a; Esona et al, 2009b; Matthijnssens et al, 2009a; Saikruang et al, 2013). These reports highlighted reassortment based interspecies and zoonotic transmission of RVAs (Gentsch et al, 2005; Martella et al, 2010).…”