694 - Unexpected Diversity of Rotavirus Genotypes in Pediatric Population

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Co-Author(s)

DK

Dimitra Koukou

Pediatrician, Clinical fellow in Pediatric Infectious Diseases
First Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital"
Athens, Attiki, Greece
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
PC

Panagiota Chatzichristou

Biologist
First Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital"
Athens, Attiki, Greece
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
ET

Elizabeth-Barbara Tatsi

Biologist
University Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health and Precision Medicine, Athens, Greece
Athens, Attiki, Greece
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
TL

Theodota Liakopoulou

Pediatrician
Pediatric Department, Iaso Children’s, Athens
Athens, Attiki, Greece
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
GC

Genovepha Chronopoulou

Medical Biopathologist/Microbiologist
Microbiology Department, EuroClinic Children’s, Athens
Athens, Attiki, Greece
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
AM

Athanasios Michos

Assosiate Professor of Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases
First Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases and Chemotherapy Research Laboratory, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Aghia Sophia’ Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece
Athens, Attiki, Greece
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Presenting Author(s)

VS

Vassiliki Syriopoulou

Pediatrician, Infectious Diseases Specialist, Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics
First Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital"
Athens, Attiki, Greece
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Background: Rotavirus (RV) is the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis in children. Although RV genotypes differ geographically and temporally, five are the predominant genotypes circulating worldwide. Aim of our study was to monitor possible changes in distribution of Rotavirus genotypes circulating in Greek pediatric population during the post vaccine era.

Methods: Demographic data and fecal samples were collected from children ≤15 years old with symptoms of acute gastroenteritis who visited emergency units of Pediatric Hospitals in Greece from September 2016 to August 2019. Samples were tested for RV Group A antigen with rapid immunochromatographic assay. Positive samples were further G and P typed employing RT-PCR, semi-nested multiplex PCR and Sanger sequencing of the VP7 and VP4 genes.

Results: A total of 660 children participated in the study with median age 31±29 months. Males outnumbered females (59%). Most of them lived in urban cities (85%). RV genotyping distribution was G4P[8] (41%), G1P[8] (22%), G2P[4] (14%), G9P[8] (8%), G9P[4] (5,5%), G12P[8] (2%) and G3P[8] (1,8%). Unusual and mixed genotypes were identified in 3,2% and 2,5% of the samples respectively. During 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, G4P[8] was the predominant genotype in 67% and 51% of the annual samples. However, in 2018-2019 the most common genotypes were G9P[8] and G9P[4] (33% in total) followed by G2P[4] (27%). Interestingly, the genotype G9P[4] was not detected at all in the first two years of the study.

Conclusion: This study indicates diversity of the predominant RV genotypes in Greek children during 2016-2019. The emergence of G9 as the most common genotype as well as the significant detection of uncommon ones highlight the importance of continuous surveillance of RV genotyping during the post vaccine period.