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Abstract Background Despite the global roll-out of rotavirus vaccines (RotaTeq/Rotarix / ROTAVAC/Rotasiil), mortality and morbidity due to group A rotavirus (RVA) remains high in sub-Saharan Africa, causing 104,000 deaths and 600,000 hospitalizations yearly. In Cameroon, Rotarix™ was introduced in March 2014, but, routine laboratory diagnosis of rotavirus infection is not yet a common practice, and vaccine effectiveness studies to determine the impact of vaccine introduction have not been done. Thus, studies examining RVA prevalence post vaccine introduction are needed. The study aim was to determine RVA prevalence in severe diarrhoea cases in Littoral region, Cameroon and investigate the role of other diarrheagenic pathogens in RVA-positive cases. Methods We carried out a study among hospitalized children

Abstract Objective Rotavirus A (RVA) remains the main causative agent of gastroenteritis in young children and the young of many mammalian and avian species. In this study we describe a RVA strain detected from a 6-month-old child from Central African Republic (CAR). Results We report the 11 open reading frame sequences of a G29-P[6]-I2-R2-C2-M2-A2-N2-T2-E2-H2 rotavirus strain, RVA/Human-wt/CAR/CAR91/2014/G29P[6]. Nine genes (VP1–VP3, VP6, NSP1–NSP5) shared 90–100% sequence similarities with genogroup 2 rotaviruses. Phylogenetically, backbone genes, except for VP3 and NSP4 genes, were linked with cognate gene sequences of human DS-1-like genogroup 2, hence their genetic origin. The VP3 and NSP4 genes, clustered genetically with both human and animal strains, an indication genetic reassortment human and animal RVA strains has taken place. The VP7 gene shared nucleotide (93–94%) and amino acid (95.5–96.7%) identities with Kenyan and Belgian human G29 strains, as well as to buffalo G29 strain from South Africa, while the VP4 gene most closely resembled P[6]-lineage I strains from Africa and Bangladesh (97%).

Abstract Objective Rotavirus remains the main causative agent of gastroenteritis in young children in countries that have not yet introduced the vaccine. In Benin, rotavirus vaccine was introduced late December 2019 into the EPI. This study aims to provide pre-vaccination era rotavirus genotyping data in Benin. These data can supplement data from the surveillance system of Ministry of Health of Benin which is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO). Results Of the 420 diarrheal stool samples, actively collected in southern Benin from July 2016 through November 2018 from children under 5 years old and suffering from gastroenteritis, 167 (39.8%) samples were rotavirus EIA positive. 186 (44.3%) samples contained amplifiable rotavirus RNA detected by qRT-PCR method and were genotyped using one-step RT-PCR multiplex genotyping method. G1P[8] represents the predominant genotype (32%) followed by the G2P[4] (26%), G3P[6] (16%), G12P[8] (13%) and mixed G and P types (1%). Four samples (2%) could not be assigned both G and P type specificity.