Human rotavirus genotypes causing acute watery diarrhea among under-five children in Benin City, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND Diarrhea is a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in the developing countries. Rotavirus is a major cause of acute watery diarrhea. AIM This study aims at characterizing the prevalent rotavirus G-genotypes among under-five children presenting with acute watery diarrhea in Benin City, Nigeria. METHODOLOGY A total of 470 children <5 years presenting with diarrhea of <2 weeks duration, were over a period of 1 year consecutively recruited for the study. Stool samples were collected for rotavirus antigen detection using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and further analyzed with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for VP7 genotyping. RESULTS Comparing the ability of the two methods to detect rotavirus in stool samples, 65 (13.8%) and 90 (19.2%) of the stools tested positive for rotavirus using ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively. Using VP7 primers, genotypes G1 were detected in 49 out of 90 stool samples (54.4%), G2 in 26 out of 90 stool samples (28.9%), G3 in 19 out of 90 stool samples (21.1%), G4 in 34 out of 90 stool samples (37.8%) and G9 in 8 of the 90 stool samples (8.9%). Some strains were observed to be reactive with 2 or more of the primers yielding dual or triple VP7 genotype reactivity. CONCLUSION Rotavirus of varying genotypes as shown cause acute watery diarrhea among under-five children and vaccine with strains peculiar to this environment should be introduced. Techniques such as RT-PCR rather than ELISA, where affordable, should be used in stool rotavirus screening.