Temporal changes of rotavirus strain distribution in a city in the northwest of China, 1996–2005

SummaryBackgroundVery little is known about human rotaviruses in the northwest of China. To investigate the genomic diversity, we evaluated the distribution of rotavirus genotypes in this region covering a 10-year period (1996–2005).MethodsRotavirus antigen was detected in stool specimens by enzyme immunoassay (EIA), and G and P genotyping was performed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and nucleotide sequencing methods.ResultsA total of 783 stool specimens collected from children with diarrhea, under 5 years of age, attending an urban hospital in Xinjiang were tested for rotavirus antigen, and 398 (50.8%) were positive. Overall, the most prevalent rotavirus genotype was G1P[8] (40.0%), followed by G3P[8] (17.5%), G2P[4] (8.3%), and G2P[6] (6.5%). G1 rotavirus was the most prevalent genotype until 2004. However, in 2005, G3 rotavirus (51.9%) became a dominating strain. Only one G9 strain was isolated in this region (isolated for the first time in 1999) and it became a more prevalent strain (21.2%) in 2005.ConclusionsThe results of this study are of importance to the decision makers in the evaluation of rotavirus vaccines in China.