Distribution of Rotavirus Genotypes from the 2008/2009 to 2015/2016 Season in Nara Prefecture, Japan.

This study was conducted to investigate the distribution of rotavirus genotypes in Nara Prefecture, Japan before and after introduction of vaccination in 2011. Since the 2011/2012 season, DS-1-like G1P[8] strains have been detected in Nara Prefecture, accounting for about half of all strains in the 2014/2015 season. During the 2015/2016 season, no DS-1-like G1P[8] strain was detected. G2P[4] was the predominant genotype. Group A rotavirus (RVA), a major cause of severe gastroenteritis in infants and young children, poses an important public health issue in Japan. Molecular surveillance of RVA infections has been conducted in Nara Prefecture, Japan since 1999. Two licensed oral live vaccines have become commercially available in Japan: Rotarix (GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, Rixensart, Belgium) from 2011, and RotaTeq. (Merck and Co. Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA) from 2012. Although the two vaccines have been highly efficacious (1), changes in the distribution of RVA genotypes after the vaccines' introduction have been observed in several countries (2-4). In Japan, DS-1-like G1P[8] strains, regarded as new reassortant strains, have been detected since January 2012 (5, 6). Therefore, we investigated the distribution of G and P genotypes of RVA and examined the presence of DS-1-like G1P[8] strains. PMID: 28674310 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Tags: Jpn J Infect Dis Source Type: research