HUMAN ROTAVIRUS GROUP A SEROTYPES CAUSING GASTROENTERITIS IN CHILDREN LESS THAN 5 YEARS AND HIV-INFECTED ADULTS IN VIWANDANI SLUM, NAIROBI

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Rotavirus remains a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in children worldwide withan estimated 2000 deaths each day in developing countries. Due to HIV/AIDS scourge in Kenya, it ispossible that rotavirus-related gastroenteritis has been aggravated in adults. The Global Alliance forImmunizations has ranked rotavirus infection a priority for vaccine, and, to ensure its success, there is aneed to document the local strain(s) circulating in different regions.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to document human rotavirus group A serotypes inchildren below 5 years and HIV-infected adults in Viwandani slum in Nairobi, Kenya. A total of 260 (128from children and 132 from HIV infected adults) fecal specimen samples were analyzed from August2012 to July 2013. Screening for rotavirus was done by antigen based enzyme immune-sorbent assay(ELISA), Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) was used to detect rotavirus electropherotypes andfinally genotyping was done by RT-PCR using genotype-specific primer sets targeting VP4 and VP7genes.RESULTS: Rotavirus was detected in 23% and 8% of children and adult, respectively. Prevalence washigh in children of < 2 years and adults of > 48 years. Long electropherotypes accounted for 80% and60% while short electropherotypes accounted for 20% and 40% in children and adult, respectively. Thecommon globally distributed strains, G1 and G3, accounted for 60% detections while the unusual G9strain accounted for 80% infection in adults. G1P[8] was the common genotypic combination inchildren, accounting for 40% infection, whereas G9 [P8] accounted for 60% of the infections in adults.CONCLUSION: This study shows the existence of strain diversity between rotavirus circulating inchildren and adults within this study group. It further shows that as currently constituted, the 2 vaccinesrecommended for rotavirus would cover the circulating strain in Viwandani slum. Finally, there is a needfor continuous rotavirus strain surveillance in children and a further focus on HIV infected adults.