Search

The National Rotavirus Reference Centre, together with collaborating laboratories Australia-wide, conducts a laboratory based rotavirus surveillance program. This report describes the serotypes of rotavirus strains responsible for the hospitalisation of children with acute gastroenteritis during the period 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007. One thousand and two faecal samples from across Australia were examined using a combined approach of monoclonal antibody immunoassays, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and polyacrylamide gel analysis. Serotype G1 was the dominant serotype nationally, representing 36.7% of all strains, followed by serotype G9 (31.1%), and serotype G3 (23.3%). Serotype G2 represented less than 5% of strains, while no serotype G4 strains were identified. All G1, G3 and G9 strains assayed for P genotype contained the P[8] genotype, bar one G1 strain, which possessed a P[6]. Uncommon rotavirus genotypes, G8 (n = 1) and G12 (n = 2) were identified in children with acute gastroenteritis during this study period.

The National Rotavirus Reference Centre together with collaborating laboratories Australia-wide has conducted rotavirus surveillance since June 1999. This report describes the serotypes of rotavirus strains responsible for the hospitalisation of children with acute gastroenteritis during the period 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005. Six hundred and twelve faecal samples from across Australia were examined using monoclonal antibody immunoassays, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and polyacrylamide gel analysis. Serotype G1 was the dominant serotype nationally, representing 48.3 per cent of all strains, followed by serotype G3 (36.7%) and serotype G9 (6.9%). As in previous years, there was substantial geographic variation in the prevalence of rotavirus serotypes.

The National Rotavirus Reference Centre together with collaborating laboratories Australia-wide has conducted rotavirus surveillance since June 1999. This report describes the serotypes of rotavirus strains responsible for the hospitalisation of children with acute gastroenteritis during the period 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004. We examined 688 faecal samples using monoclonal antibody immunoassays, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and polyacrylamide gel analysis. This revealed that serotype G1 has re-emerged as the major serotype nationally, representing 40 per cent of all strains, followed by serotype G3 (25.7%) serotype G2 (17.1%) and serotype G9 (11.7%). However, there is substantial geographic variation in the prevalence of rotavirus serotypes. These findings have implications for vaccine development strategies which have targeted prevention of disease due to serotypes G1-G4.

The National Rotavirus Reference Centre, together with collaborating laboratories Australia-wide, has conducted rotavirus surveillance since June 1999. This report describes the serotypes of rotavirus strains responsible for the hospitalisation of children with acute gastroenteritis during the period 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003. We examined 573 faecal samples using monoclonal antibody immunoassays, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and polyacrylamide gel analysis. For the second consecutive year, serotype G9 strains were the most prevalent type nationally (74.7%) and were found in all seven contributing centres. Serotype G1 strains were the second most prevalent type (11.3%), identified in four of the centres. These findings have implications for vaccine development strategies which have targeted protection of disease due to serotypes G1-G4.

The National Rotavirus Reference Centre together with collaborating laboratories Australia-wide has conducted rotavirus surveillance since June 1999. The serotypes of rotavirus strains that are responsible for the hospitalisation of children with acute gastroenteritis were determined for the period 1 June 2001 to 31 June 2002. We examined 754 rotavirus samples using a combination of monoclonal antibody immunoassay, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and Northern hybridisation. For the first time, serotype G9 strains were the most prevalent type nationally (40.4%) and found in 8 of the 9 centres. Serotype G1 strains were the second most prevalent type (38.9%), identified in 5 of the centres. These findings have important implications for vaccine development strategies which target serotypes G1-G4.

The National Rotavirus Reference Centre together with 15 collaborating laboratories Australia-wide conducted rotavirus surveillance from June 1999. The serotypes of rotaviruses that are responsible for the hospitalisation of children with acute diarrhoea were determined for the period June 2000 to May 2001. We examined 1108 rotavirus specimens using a combination of monoclonal antibody immunoassay, reverse transcription-PCR, and Northern hybridisation. Serotype G1 strains were the most prevalent overall (49.5%), and found in all centres. Serotype G9 rotaviruses, which were first identified in 1997, were second in importance (18.1%). Serotype G2 viruses were next (12.5%), followed by the re-emergence of serotype G4 viruses (9.7%). The findings of this study have implications for vaccine development strategies where protection against serotypes additional to G1-G4 may be required.