Genetic diversity of rotavirus infection among young children with diarrhoea in the Kassena-Nankana Districts of Northern Ghana: a seasonal cross-sectional survey.

Introduction: diarrhoea disease is a global health concern, persisting as one of the top five causes of morbidity and mortality in children. Viral aetiology of childhood diarrhoea is often associated with rotavirus infection of which preventable vaccines exist. Here we document circulating strains of rotavirus in the Kassena-Nankana Districts of Northern Ghana nearly a decade after the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine.

Methods: a cross-sectional survey of children aged 0-60 months was conducted in six health facilities within the Kassena-Nankana Districts. Faecal samples obtained from the children were analysed and characterized for rotavirus detection and genotyping using Semi-Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction.

Results: a total of 263 stool samples were analyzed. Out of which 14.8% and 18.6% of the diarrhoea cases were of rotavirus and parasitic etiologies respectively, with 17.4% being co-infections. Almost 27.5% of rotavirus diarrhoeal cases resulted in hospitalization. Household size (p=0.035), location (p=0.018), treatment outcome (p=0.007), vomiting (p=0.039), season (p=0.017) and month of sampling (p=0.000) were significantly associated with rotavirus infection. The rotavirus genotypes identified were G1P8, G3P6, G4P9, G10P6 and G12P8. Rotavirus vaccine-type, G1P8 was absent in Kassena-Nankana West District.

Conclusion: the prevalence of rotavirus was low compared to the pre-vaccination era. Also, a new rotavirus strain, G4P9 was identified to be circulating in the study area which calls for surveillance measures and more studies to better understand the situation for appropriate public health intervention.