Objective This study aimed to determine the circulating rotavirus genotypes among children 0 to 59 months with acute gastroenteritis in Zaria, Northwestern Nigeria.

Methods A cross-sectional hospital-based study was performed from November 2015 to April 2017 on 415 stool samples of children 0 to 59 months with acute gastroenteritis presenting at the pediatric clinics in five selected health care facilities in Zaria, Northwestern Nigeria. The stool samples were tested for group A rotavirus antigen by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the ProSpecT™ Rotavirus Microplate Assay (Thermo Scientific Oxoid, United Kingdom). Rotavirus-positive strains were further characterized using seminested multiplex reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.

Results Of the 415 diarrheal stool samples collected from children with acute gastroenteritis, 12.3% (n = 51) tested positive by ELISA. Five rotavirus G genotypes (G1, G2, G3, G9, and G12) and three P genotypes (P[4], P[6], and P[8]) were detected. Eight genotype combinations were detected with G1P[8], G12P[8], and G3P[6] being the most prevalent (9.8% each) followed by G1P[6], G2P[4], and G9P[8] (5.9% each). G/P mix types representing 25.5% (n = 13) of strains were detected during the study period.

Conclusion This study found a high diversity of rotavirus strains with emerging unusual rotavirus genotypes and a concurrent high proportion of mixed infections. This increased antigenic diversity of rotavirus strains may impact on vaccine effectiveness and rotavirus epidemiology and highlights the importance of continuous surveillance.

目的 本研究旨在确定尼日利亚西北部 Zaria 0 至 59 个月急性胃肠炎儿童的循环轮状病毒基因型。

方法 在 2015 年 11 月至 2017 年 4 月期间，对 0 至 59 个月的急性胃肠炎儿童的 415 份粪便样本进行了一项横断面医院研究，这些儿童在尼日利亚西北部扎里亚的五个选定医疗保健机构的儿科诊所就诊。使用 ProSpecT™ Rotavirus Microplate Assay（Thermo Scientific Oxoid，英国）通过酶联免疫吸附试验 (ELISA) 检测粪便样本的 A 组轮状病毒抗原。轮状病毒阳性菌株使用半嵌套式多重逆转录聚合酶链反应进一步表征。

结果 415份急性胃肠炎患儿腹泻粪便样本中 ，ELISA检测阳性率为12.3%（n =51）。检测到五种轮状病毒 G 基因型（G1、G2、G3、G9 和 G12）和三种 P 基因型（P[4]、P[6] 和 P[8]）。检测到八种基因型组合，其中 G1P[8]、G12P[8] 和 G3P[6] 最为普遍（各占 9.8%），其次是 G1P[6]、G2P[4] 和 G9P[8]（5.9%）每个）。 在研究期间检测到代表 25.5% ( n = 13) 菌株的G/P 混合类型。

结论 本研究发现轮状病毒株具有高度多样性，具有新出现的不寻常轮状病毒基因型和并发高比例的混合感染。轮状病毒株抗原多样性的增加可能会影响疫苗有效性和轮状病毒流行病学，并突出了持续监测的重要性。