0000000000138239
AUTHOR
S De Grazia
Variant GII.4 noroviruses in Italian children
Objectives: Among human noroviruses (NoVs), a few genogroup II strains of genotype 4 (GII.4) are dominant worldwide. GII.4 NoVs evolve rapidly and in 2006 two new epidemic variants have been identified. To investigate the circulation of GII.4 NoV variants in Italy a sequence analysis was performed on NoV strains obtained from children hospitalized for sporadic viral gastroenteritis in Palermo. Methods: A total of 465 faecal specimens were collected from children (< 5 years) hospitalized from January 2005 to December 2006. The presence of NoVs was detected by RT-PCR using primers JV12/JV13, targeting the region A of the RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (RdRp) gene. NoV strains were genotyped by …
Evolution of G1 rotavirus strains in Italian children in an 18-year period.
Molecular characterization of rotavirus strains from children with diarrhea in Italy, 2007-2009.
The surveillance network RotaNet-Italia was established in 2007 in order to investigate the diversity of co-circulating rotavirus strains in Italy, and to provide a baseline for future assessment of possible effects of vaccine implementation in selecting novel versus common rotavirus strains. A total of 2,645 rotavirus strains from pediatric patients with acute diarrhea were collected over three consecutive seasons from September 2006 through August 2009, and partially characterized by standardized multiplex RT-PCR. Most of strains (89.1%) belonged to genotypes G1–G4, and G9, associated with either P[8] or P[4], commonly found in humans worldwide. However, in at least 2.0% of cases, viruses…
Heterogeneity and dynamics of evolution of G1 human rotavirus in Palermo: alternate circulation of different lineages and sub-lineages
A rotavirus sample collection from 19 consecutive years was used to investigate the heterogeneity and the dynamics of evolution of G1 rotavirus strains in a geographically defined population. Phylogenetic analysis of the VP7 gene sequences of G1P[8] human rotavirus strains showed the circulation of a heterogeneous population comprising three lineages and seven sublineages. Increases in the circulation of G1 rotaviruses were apparently associated with the introduction of novel G1 strains that exhibited multiple amino acid changes in antigenic regions involved in rotavirus neutralization compared to the strains circulating in the previous years. The emergence and/or introduction of G1 antigen…
Molecular epidemiology of astrovirus infection in Italian children with gastroenteritis
A 1-year study involving 157 gastroenteritis samples was conducted to investigate the role of human astrovirus, (HAstV) as a cause of gastroenteritis in Italian children aged < 2 years. The overall incidence of HAstV was 3.1%. Most cases occurred between March and May, and four of the five isolates were of the HAstV-1 type, the other being HAstV-3. Analysis of genetic variability showed that the three HAstV-1 isolates collected in 2000 clustered together, but separately from the 1999 isolate. The results indicated that HAstV should be considered as a potential diarrhoeal pathogen in Italian children. © 2004 Copyright by the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases