Incidence of Group C Human Rotavirus in Central Australia and Sequence Variation of the VP7 and VP4 Genes

Abstract

Human group C rotavirus was identified in central Australia in each of eight years over a 16-year period between 1982 and 1997. Cases occurred either sporadically but over a relatively short period of time or as clustered outbreaks. These are the only reports of human group C rotavirus in Australia other than that of a single case reported approximately 1,800 km away in 1982. The electrophoretic genome profiles of isolates were identical for all those identified within the same year but different between those identified in different years. The VP7 genes of four isolates identified in four different years over a 7-year period between 1987 and 1993, and the VP4 genes of two of these isolates showed relatively little variation in genome and deduced amino acid sequence upon comparison of the equivalent genes between isolates. The sequences were also very similar to those from the corresponding genes from most of the human group C rotavirus isolates from other countries. This continues the observation of a high degree of gene sequence conservation among human group C rotaviruses worldwide.

Molecular characterization of a novel adult diarrhoea rotavirus strain J19 isolated in China and its significance for the evolution and origin of group B rotaviruses

“…Group A rotaviruses cause severe diarrhoea in infants and young children, but they can also infect adults. Group C rotavirus infection occurs both in children and in adults, usually in sporadic cases or clustered outbreaks (Rodger et al, 1982;Caul et al, 1990;Jiang et al,1995; Kuzuya et al, 1996; Nilsson et al, 2000;Adah et al, 2002;Chen et al, 2002;Ji et al, 2002;Schnagl et al, 2004).…”

“…Group A rotaviruses cause severe diarrhoea in infants and young children, but they can also infect adults. Group C rotavirus infection occurs both in children and in adults, usually in sporadic cases or clustered outbreaks (Rodger et al, 1982;Caul et al, 1990;Jiang et al,1995; Kuzuya et al, 1996; Nilsson et al, 2000;Adah et al, 2002;Chen et al, 2002;Ji et al, 2002;Schnagl et al, 2004).In China, large waterborne epidemics caused by the human group B rotavirus strain adult diarrhoea rotavirus (ADRV) infected thousands of people aged between 10 and 40 years of age in the 1980s (Hung et al, 1983(Hung et al, , 1984Chen et al, 1985Chen et al, , 1990 et al, 1987). The same rotavirus was implicated in gastroenteritis outbreaks in Beijing city in 1994 and in Shijiazhuang city in 1997.…”

Detection and Characterization of Group C Rotaviruses in Asymptomatic Piglets in Ireland

“…Human infection by GCRV has been associated with both sporadic episodes and large outbreaks of gastroenteritis in all age groups and appears to be globally distributed (1,2,5,6,18,24,25,34,38,41,43). Large-scale epidemiological studies have revealed that the prevalence may range from 0.6% to 6.8% (2,24), and GCRVs are regarded as emerging human pathogens.…”

Development of One-Step Real-Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays for Rapid Detection of Porcine Group C Rotaviruses

“…9 Group C rotaviruses (GCRVs) were first recognized as a causative agent of gastroenteritis in pigs in the 1980s 3 and were subsequently identified as an emerging human pathogen. 11,14,16,17 Epidemiologic studies suggest that porcine GCRVs are widespread in pig herds and are presumably zoonotic. 18 However, the precise prevalence of porcine GCRVs remains largely unknown because of the absence of reliable, specific, and rapid diagnostic methods.…”