Detection of an animal-derived G4P[6] group A rotavirus strain in a symptomatic child, in Italy.

Giovanni Ianiro1 Roberto Micolano2 Michela Conte2 Michele Labianca3 Gabriele Vaccari2 Marina Monini2
Affiliations 3 institutions
  1. Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
  2. Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
  3. Unit of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, ASL-Potenza, Villa D'Agri (PZ), Italy.

Abstract

During 2017, a G4P[6] group A rotavirus strain was identified in the feces of an Italian child hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis in Southern Italy. Nucleotide sequencing of the 11 genomic segments, revealed the G4-P[6]-I1-R1-C1-M1-A1-N1-T1-E1-H1 genotype constellation. Phylogenetic analyses of the gene segments investigated revealed high nucleotide sequence identities with G4P[6] RVA strains detected previously in pigs and in humans. The human strains related to the Italian G4P[6] were mainly reported from Asia, and were detected after an inter-species transmission event from swine. This study reports the genotyping and phylogenetic analysis of a G4P[6] RVA strain presenting a genomic constellation never detected before in Italy. In addition, this strain was able to cause AGE symptoms in a healthy child, successively hospitalized. The molecular characterization suggested zoonotic origin and inter-species transmission of this strain from swine, living open the possibility of its importation from abroad.

Supporting text Virus Host Location
Diarrhea 33 G4P[6] 3 Human 14 Italy 21 Rotavirus 66 Swine 267 Genotype 137 Animals 1948 Child 42 Feces 113 Gastroenteritis 14 Humans 1440 Italy 20 Phylogeny 805 RNA, Viral 193 Rotavirus 65 Rotavirus Infections 61 Sequence Analysis, DNA 113 Sequence Homology 21 Zoonoses 397

Evidence records

3 total
Zoonotic Surveillance
2 records · 1 evidence types
Evidence type
2 records
OVE3136
Key finding

A G4P[6] group A rotavirus strain was detected in the feces of an Italian child hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis in Southern Italy during 2017.

Virus
Host
Location
Supporting text

During 2017, a G4P[6] group A rotavirus strain was identified in the feces of an Italian child hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis in Southern Italy.

Method
nucleotide sequencing | genotyping | phylogenetic analysis
Sample type
feces
Geographic raw
Southern Italy
Country inferred
ITA
OVE3138
Key finding

A G4P[6] group A rotavirus detected in a symptomatic Italian child was derived from swine, indicating an animal‑to‑human spillover event.

Virus
Host
Location
Supporting text

The human strains related to the Italian G4P[6] were mainly reported from Asia, and were detected after an inter‑species transmission event from swine.

Method
nucleotide sequencing | phylogenetic analysis
Geographic raw
Asia | Italy
Genomic Evolution
1 records · 1 evidence types
Evidence type
1 records
OVE3137
Key finding

Phylogenetic analyses showed that the Italian G4P[6] group A rotavirus strain clustered closely with G4P[6] strains previously detected in pigs and humans, indicating close evolutionary relatedness.

Virus
Host
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

Phylogenetic analyses of the gene segments investigated revealed high nucleotide sequence identities with G4P[6] RVA strains detected previously in pigs and in humans.

Genes or proteins
gene segments
Analysis methods
phylogenetic analysis