Both surface proteins (VP4 and VP7) of an asymptomatic neonatal rotavirus strain (I321) have high levels of sequence identity with the homologous proteins of a serotype 10 bovine rotavirus.

The nucleotide sequence of genes 4 and 9, encoding the outer capsid proteins VP4 and VP7 of a serotype 10 tissue culture-adapted strain, I321, representative of asymptomatic neonatal rotaviruses isolated from neonates in Bangalore, India, were determined. Comparison of nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of I321 VP4 and VP7 with previously published sequences of various serotypes revealed that both genes were highly homologous to the respective genes of serotype 10 bovine rotavirus, B223. The VP4 of I321 represents a new human P serotype and the I321 and related strains represent the first description of neonatal rotaviruses that appear to derive both surface proteins from an animal rotavirus.