Electrophoretic study of the genome of human rotaviruses from Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Pará, Brazil

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Abstract
SUMMARY: Human rotaviruses from the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Pará of Brazil were analysed by RNA electrophoresis. At least some bands characteristic of rotavirus double-stranded RNA were detected in 138 (86·8%) of 159 faecal samples in which the presence of rotavirus had been demonstrated by enzyme immunoassay. Of the RNA-positi ve samples, 18 (13·0%) were classified as subgroup 1, 94 (68·1%) as subgroup 2, and 26 (18·8%) could not be classified due to absence of visible bands 10 and 11. Subgroup 2 was more frequent in the three states. All strains of subgroup 1 detected in Rio de Janeiro were associated with a single short-lived school outbreak. All strains of subgroup 1 resembled each other in electrophoretie pattern, irrespective of geographical origin, although minor differences could be detected by co-electrophoresis. Subgroup 2, on the other hand, showed a great degree of electrophoretic heterogeneity and could be divided into several sub-categories.