RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Rotaviruses are primary etiological agents of gastroenteritis in young children. In Kenya, G1P8 monovalent vaccine (Rotarix) was introduced in July 2014 for mandatory vaccination of all newborns at 6 and 10 weeks of age. Since then, no studies have been done to identify the rotavirus genotypes circulating in Nairobi County, Kenya, following the vaccine introduction, hence the post-vaccine genotype distribution is not known. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the post-vaccine occurrence of rotavirus genotypes in children <5 years of age in Nairobi County, Kenya. METHODS: Stool samples were collected from children presenting with diarrhea for whom the vaccination status was card-confirmed. Fecal samples were analyzed for rotavirus antigen using a commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kit, followed by characterization by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, RT-PCR, and nested PCR genotyping, targeting the most medically important genotypes. RESULTS: The strains observed included G1P[8] (38.8%), G9P[8] (20.4%), G2P[4] (12.2%), G3[P4] (6.1%), G2P[6] (4.1%), and G9P[6] (4.1%). Mixed genotype constellations G3P[4][8] were also detected (4.1%). Remarkably, an increased prevalence of G2 genotypes was observed, revealing a change in genetic diversity of rotavirus strains. While the dominance of G1P[8] decreased after vaccination, an upsurge in G2P[4] (12.2%) and G9P[8] (20.4%) was observed. Additionally, G3[P4] (6.1%) and G2P[6] (4.1%) prevalence increased over the 3 years of study. CONCLUSIONS: The results inform the need for robust longitudinal surveillance and epidemiological studies to assess the long-term interaction between rotavirus vaccine and strain ecology.
Assuntos
Infecções por Rotavirus/virologia , Vacinas contra Rotavirus/administração & dosagem , Rotavirus/genética , Pré-Escolar , Diarreia/epidemiologia , Fezes/virologia , Feminino , Gastroenterite/epidemiologia , Gastroenterite/virologia , Genótipo , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Quênia/epidemiologia , Masculino , Filogenia , Prevalência , Rotavirus/classificação , Rotavirus/imunologia , Rotavirus/isolamento & purificação , Infecções por Rotavirus/epidemiologia , Vacinas contra Rotavirus/genética , Vacinas contra Rotavirus/imunologia , Vacinação , Vacinas Atenuadas/administração & dosagem , Vacinas Atenuadas/genética , Vacinas Atenuadas/imunologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Gastroenteritis is a public health concern due to high morbidity and mortality among children. Rotaviruses are the leading etiological agents of severe gastroenteritis in children and accounts for more than half a million deaths per year in Africa. The study aimed at investigating the rotavirus genotypes that were circulating in children aged 5 years and below in and around Mukuru slums in Nairobi County Kenya. METHODS: A purposive cross sectional sampling method was applied where 166 samples were collected from children below 5 years of age and taken to Kenya Medical Research Institute virology laboratory. Presence of rotaviruses was determined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, while extraction was done using ZR Soil/Fecal RNA MicroPrep™ extraction kit. This was followed by reverse transcription and genotyping using various group A rotavirus primers. RESULTS: The G type was successfully determined in 37 (92.5%), while the P type was successfully determined in 35 (87.5%) of the 40 (24%) page positive samples. Type G1 was the most predominant of the G types (40.5%), and the incidences of G3 and G9 were 21.6 and 32.4% respectively. Mixed types G3/G9 were detected at 5.4%. Three P types existed in Mukuru slums, P[8] (60%), P[6] (22.9%), P[4] (11.4) and their relative incidence varied over the 15 months of this study. CONCLUSIONS: The G types and P types detected in this study are important causes of acute gastroenteritis in Mukuru slums Nairobi Kenya. An indication that the prevalence of certain genotypes may change over a rotavirus season is significant and mirrors observations from studies in other tropical climates. Thus monitoring of the genotypic changes among circulating viruses should be encouraged over the coming years.