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Full genome-based characterization of G4P[6] rotavirus strains from diarrheic patients in Thailand: Evidence for independent porcine-to-human interspecies transmission events

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Abstract

The exact evolutionary patterns of human G4P[6] rotavirus strains remain to be elucidated. Such strains possess unique and strain-specific genotype constellations, raising the question of whether G4P[6] strains are primarily transmitted via independent interspecies transmission or human-to-human transmission after interspecies transmission. Two G4P[6] rotavirus strains were identified in fecal specimens from hospitalized patients with severe diarrhea in Thailand, namely, DU2014-259 (RVA/Human-wt/THA/DU2014-259/2014/G4P[6]) and PK2015-1-0001 (RVA/Human-wt/THA/PK2015-1-0001/2015/G4P[6]). Here, we analyzed the full genomes of the two human G4P[6] strains, which provided the opportunity to study and confirm their evolutionary origin. On whole genome analysis, both strains exhibited a unique Wa-like genotype constellation of G4-P[6]-I1-R1-C1-M1-A8-N1-T1-E1-H1. The NSP1 genotype A8 is commonly found in porcine rotavirus strains. Furthermore, on phylogenetic analysis, each of the 11 genes of strains DU2014-259 and PK2015-1-0001 appeared to be of porcine origin. On the other hand, the two study strains consistently formed distinct clusters for nine of the 11 gene segments (VP4, VP6, VP1-VP3, and NSP2-NSP5), strongly indicating the occurrence of independent porcine-to-human interspecies transmission events. Our observations provide important insights into the origin of zoonotic G4P[6] strains, and into the dynamic interaction between porcine and human rotavirus strains.

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Data availability

The nucleotide sequence data obtained in this study have been deposited in the DDBJ and EMBL/GenBank data libraries. The accession numbers for the nucleotide sequences of the VP1-VP4, VP6, VP7, and NSP1-NSP5 gene segments of strains DU2014-259 and PK2015-1-0001 are LC569880-LC569890 and LC569891-LC569901, respectively.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the public health staff of Phen and Phrapokklao Hospitals for their great help in collecting specimens and clinical data on the subjects. This study was supported in part by AMED (19fk0108099s0301 and 20fk0108099s0302) (SK), the Thailand-Japan Research Collaboration Center on Emerging and Re-emerging Infections, RCC-ERI (NT), and the laboratory-based surveillance program for unidentified and possibly new pathogens affecting public health problems in Thailand, IEIP-EID (BS).

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RT, RG, KT, and SK designed the study. Material preparation, data collection, and analyses were performed by RT, SU, PS, TI, SF, RH, KS, SK, NO, TL, KR, YK, BS, KM, MT, NT, TY, TM, and BU. RT, RG, KT, and SK prepared the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Satoshi Komoto.

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This study was approved by the Ethical Review Committee for Research on Human Subjects, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand (Ref. Nos. 10/2555 and 0032/2556).

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Written informed consent for the testing of stool samples for RVAs and characterization of isolated RVA strains was obtained from the patients’ guardians/parents.

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Tacharoenmuang, R., Guntapong, R., Upachai, S. et al. Full genome-based characterization of G4P[6] rotavirus strains from diarrheic patients in Thailand: Evidence for independent porcine-to-human interspecies transmission events. Virus Genes 57, 338–357 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11262-021-01851-y

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