Identification of novel Ghanaian G8P[6] human-bovine reassortant rotavirus strain by next generation sequencing

PLoS One. 2014 Jun 27;9(6):e100699. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100699. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Group A rotaviruses (RVAs) are the most important etiological agent of acute gastroenteritis in children <5 years of age worldwide. The monovalent rotavirus vaccine Rotarix was introduced into the national Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) in Ghana in May 2012. However, there is a paucity of genetic and phylogenetic data on the complete genomes of human RVAs in circulation pre-vaccine introduction. The common bovine rotavirus VP7 genotype G8 has been sporadically detected in Ghanaian children, usually in combination with the VP4 genotype P[6]. To investigate the genomic constellations and phylogeny of RVA strains in circulation prior to vaccine introduction, the full genomes of two unusual G8P[6] strains, GH018-08 and GH019-08, detected during burden of disease surveillance, were characterized by Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The Ghanaian isolates, GH018-08 and GH019-08, exhibited the unusual, previously unreported genotype constellation G8-P[6]-I2-R2-C2-M2-A2-N2-T2-E2-H3. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed that 10 out of the 11 genes of GH018-08 and GH019-08 were identical/nearly identical, with significant variation detected only in their VP1 genes, and clearly established the occurrence of multiple independent interspecies transmission and reassortment events between co-circulating bovine/ovine/caprine rotaviruses and human DS-1-like RVA strains. These findings highlight the contribution of reassortment and interspecies transmission events to the high rotavirus diversity in this region of Africa, and justify the need for simultaneous monitoring of animal and human rotavirus strains.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Capsid Proteins / genetics
  • Cattle
  • Child
  • Gene Library
  • Genotype
  • Ghana
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny
  • RNA, Viral / isolation & purification
  • RNA, Viral / metabolism
  • Reassortant Viruses / classification
  • Reassortant Viruses / genetics*
  • Reassortant Viruses / isolation & purification
  • Rotavirus / classification
  • Rotavirus / genetics*
  • Rotavirus / isolation & purification
  • Rotavirus Infections / virology
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / genetics

Substances

  • Capsid Proteins
  • RNA, Viral
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins

Associated data

  • GENBANK/KJ748465
  • GENBANK/KJ748466
  • GENBANK/KJ748467
  • GENBANK/KJ748468
  • GENBANK/KJ748469
  • GENBANK/KJ748470
  • GENBANK/KJ748471
  • GENBANK/KJ748472
  • GENBANK/KJ748473
  • GENBANK/KJ748474
  • GENBANK/KJ748475
  • GENBANK/KJ748476
  • GENBANK/KJ748477
  • GENBANK/KJ748478
  • GENBANK/KJ748479
  • GENBANK/KJ748480
  • GENBANK/KJ748481
  • GENBANK/KJ748482
  • GENBANK/KJ748483
  • GENBANK/KJ748484
  • GENBANK/KJ748485
  • GENBANK/KJ748486

Grants and funding

This work was funded by Grants-in-Aid for Research on Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan (KK). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.