Detection of human group C rotaviruses in Nigeria and sequence analysis of their genes encoding VP4, VP6, and VP7 proteins.

In a survey on the etiology of acute gastroenteritis in infants and young children in Nigeria, group C human rotaviruses were detected in two of 112 rotavirus positive stool specimens collected between 1999 and 2000. The VP7, VP6, and VP4 genes of the two Nigerian human group C rotavirus strains (Jajeri and Moduganari) were sequenced in this study. Comparative sequence analysis with other published human group C rotaviruses showed that the genes encoding the three structural proteins were remarkably conserved in primary structure with few mutations. The VP4 and VP7 genes from the two Nigerian strains were related more closely to each other than to those of other published strains, and formed a separate cluster on the phylogenetic tree. In contrast, it was of note that VP6 gene of strain Moduganari was related more closely to the Brazilian strain Belem than to the other Nigerian strain Jajeri. This is the first report of identification of human group C rotavirus in Nigeria and constitutes the first sequence data of human group C rotaviruses in the African continent. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.