Prevalence of Rotavirus Gastroenteritis and Circulating Genotypes in Children with Acute Gastroenteritis Admitted in Imam Hossein Hospital, Isfahan, Iran; 2013

Human Rotavirus is a significant cause of severe gastroenteritis in infants and young children worldwide. In recent years، rotavirus genotyping by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has provided valuable information about the diversity of rotaviruses circulating worldwide. The purpose of the present study was to monitor the prevalence of the different circulating G and P genotypes of rotaviruses in Isfahan، Iran. During the period of spring 2013، a total of 117 stool samples were collected from children less than 3 years old who were hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis in Imam Hossein Hospital، Isfahan، Iran، as the referral pediatrics hospital. Rotavirus-associated diarrhea was investigated in fecal specimens with sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Rotavirus-positive specimens were typed by the nested reverse transcription (RT) polymerase chain reaction (Nested RT-PCR) using different types of specific primers. Out of the 117 collected samples، 35. 3% (41 cases) tested positive for rotavirus. The frequency of G1P8، G8P4، G8P8، G1P4 and G1G4P8 types was 65. 9%، 17. 1%، 12. 2%، 2. 4% and 2. 4%، respectively. In this study، the prevalence rotavirus infection among children less than 3 years of age in Isfahan was determined. The dominant genotyped was G1P8. Other studies in important areas of the country are needed to decide about future vaccine formulation in Iran.