Electropherotypes, subgroups and serotypes of human rotavirus strains causing gastroenteritis in infants and young children in Palermo, Italy, from 1985 to 1989

Abstract

During 1985–1989, an epidemiological survey was conducted in Palermo, Sicily (Southern Italy) on group A human rotavirus (HRV) strains which cause gastroenteritis in infants and young children. Two hundred and thirty eight HRV strains were characterized for subgroup and serotype using monoclonal-antibody-based ELISA systems, and for electropherotype using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Subgroup II strains were largely predominant, constituting $\text{218}\text{238}$ of the positive stool samples (91.6 %). Among the serotypes, $\text{192}\text{238}$ strains (80.7 %) were serotype 1 and 16 strains (6.7 %) were serotype 4; serotype 2 circulated intermittentlye and serotype 3 was nearly absent (only one subgroup I strain was detected). Two electropherotypes, bbba and cbba, accounted for the largest proportion of the 345 HRV strains examined, 74 (21.4 %) and 222 (64.3 %) strains, respectively.