Diversity of rotavirus strains infecting pediatric patients in New Delhi, India

Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (PAGE) of rotavirus can provide information on variation in rotavirus strain prevalent in the community. In the present study 157 samples were collected from children below 5 years of age presenting with acute diarrhoea from May to December, 1990 at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi. Seventy-one (45 per cent) of these stool samples were positive for rotavirus by ELISA. Sixty-seven samples showed discernible RNA pattern of group A rotavirus by PAGE. It was found that there were seven electropherotypes co-circulating in this 8-month period. Majority of the strains had a IIC pattern, but IIA, IID, IIE, IIG, IE, and IB electropherotype patterns were also seen. The simultaneous co-circulation of multiple group A strains in the community may lead to extensive genomic variation in rotavirus strains.