Group A rotavirus surveillance before vaccine introduction in Italy, September 2014 to August 2017.

IntroductionGroup A rotaviruses (RVA) are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in young children, causing ca 250,000 deaths worldwide, mainly in low-income countries. Two proteins, VP7 (glycoprotein, G genotype) and VP4 (protease-sensitive protein, P genotype), are the basis for the binary RVA nomenclature. Although 36 G types and 51 P types are presently known, most RVA infections in humans worldwide are related to five G/P combinations: G1P[8], G2P[4], G3P[8], G4P[8], G9P[8].

Detection of an animal-derived G4P[6] group A rotavirus strain in a symptomatic child, in Italy.

During 2017, a G4P[6] group A rotavirus strain was identified in the feces of an Italian child hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis in Southern Italy. Nucleotide sequencing of the 11 genomic segments, revealed the G4-P[6]-I1-R1-C1-M1-A1-N1-T1-E1-H1 genotype constellation. Phylogenetic analyses of the gene segments investigated revealed high nucleotide sequence identities with G4P[6] RVA strains detected previously in pigs and in humans.