The analysis of the genotype of Sapovirus outbreaks in Zhejiang Province

Abstract

Background Sapovirus is an important causative agent of acute gastroenteritis in children. In addition, there are only a few reports on the genotype of Sapovirus in Zhejiang Province. Therefore, we analysed the genotypes of Sapovirus from seven outbreaks in the Zhejiang Province. Methods A total of 105 faecal samples from seven outbreaks of Sapovirus were collected from the Zhejiang Provincial Central for Disease Control and Prevention. The genotype was analysed using RT-PCR to perform Sanger sequencing, and next-generation sequencing was used to obtain a complete genome to analyse the amino acid mutations of the VP1 protein. Results According to the results, we found that there were four genotypes (GI.6, GI.1, GI.2, and GII.5) that were detected, with the higher detection rate of GI.6. Most patients were > 5 years old. Seven outbreaks often occurred in primary school and during the cold season. In addition, based on the alignment outcomes of whole sequences and the amino acid sequence of VP1, strain GI.6 induced outbreaks showed high homology. There were some substitutions in VP1. Conclusion There were diversity in genotypes of Sapovirus in seven outbreaks. And GI.6 might be the main genotype responsible for the Sapovirus outbreak in Zhejiang Province in 2022 with high homology, which might provide a reference for SaV prevention and control.