Emergence and high prevalence of unusual rotavirus G8P[8] strains in
outpatients with acute gastroenteritis in Shanghai, China
Abstract
Group A rotavirus (RVA) is considered an important cause of acute
gastroenteritis (AGE) in all age groups, especially in children. We
investigated the epidemiology of RVA in outpatients aged ≤16 years at
the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China. In this
study, 16.6% (246/1482) were infected with RVA. The detection rate of
RVA was significantly higher in the year of 2021 (20.3%, 147/725)
compared to the year of 2020 (14.5%, 77/531) and 2022 (9.7%, 22/226) (
p=0.000). RVA infection was prevalent in all seasons from 2020 to
2022, with a different monthly distribution observed in different years.
Among 246 RVA-positive samples, 14 different RVA genotypes were detected
with different frequencies. Overall, G9P[8] (45.5%, 112/246) was
the most common RVA genotype, followed by G8P[8] (37.4%, 92/246)
and G3P[8] (4.1%, 10/246). The prevalence of G/P combinations
varied from 2020 to 2022. G9P[8] was the most circulating genotype
in 2020 (68.2%, 15/22) and 2021 (57.8%, 85/147). However, G8P[8]
(68.8%, 53/77) suddenly became the most prevalent genotype in 2022
after being first identified in 2020 and prevalent in 2021. The G8
strains detected in the study were all clustered to DS-1-like G8 strains
with the closest genetic distance to strains circulating in Southeast
Asia. Our study demonstrated the diversity of circulating RVA genotypes
in Shanghai. The sudden emergence and high prevalence of unusual
G8P[8] strains deserve more concern and indicate the need for
continuous surveillance of RVA in children with AGE in the future to
refine future vaccine strategy.