Epidemiological and phylogenetic characterization of unusual P[14] rotavirus strains in hospitalized children with acute gastroenteritis

Abstract

Rotavirus A (RVA) is characterized by molecular and epidemiological diversity. To date, 42G and 58P RVA genotypes have been identified, some of which have zoonotic origin, like P[14]. This study aims at the epidemiological and molecular characterization of human P[14] RVA. Fecal samples from children ≤ 16 years with acute gastroenteritis (AGE), hospitalized during 01/2007-12/2021, were tested for RVA by chromatographic immunoassay. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were recorded. Positive RVA samples were G and P typed performing Sanger sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis of P[14] was performed using the Mega X software. Sixty (1.36%) out of 4427 children with RVA AGE, were infected with an unusual G (G6/G8/G10) or P (P[6]/P[9]/P[10]/P[11]/P[14]) genotype. P[9] (27/60; 45%) was the most common unusual genotype followed by P[14] (11/60; 18.3%). Median age of children with P[14] was 37.8 months (IQR:17.6–77.1), 6/11 were males and 4/11 resided to rural areas. Their symptoms were diarrhea (9/11; 81.8%), vomiting (7/11; 63.6%), fever (7/11; 63.6%) and moderate dehydration (6/11; 54.5%). All children were unvaccinated for RVA. Seasonal peak of P[14] was during spring (91%). The combinations G8P[14] (45.5%), G6P[14] (36.4%) and G4P[14] (18.1%) were detected. Phylogenetic analysis showed potential evolutionary relationship of three human RVA P[14] with a fox strain from Croatia. These findings enhance the potential zoonotic origin of P[14] and the interspecies transmission between nondomestic animals and humans, which may lead to new RVA genotypes with unknown severity.