Caprine and bovine B rotaviruses in western France: group identification by Northern hybridization.

In a survey of coronavirus and rotavirus-induced neonatal diarrhoea in 373 calves from 284 farms, nine (2.4%) of the animals were found to be infected with non-group A rotaviruses when their faeces were analysed in a commercial ELISA and by PAGE. Seven out of eight 1-4- day-old kids from a single farm were also infected with similar viruses. In a mini-PAGE, all the viruses displayed group B- and/or E-like 4223 electrophoretypes. In Northern hybridizations with cDNA chemiluminescent probes specific to rotavirus groups A (RF strain), B (adult diarrhoea rotavirus, ADRV) and C (Cowden strain) all the viruses belonged to group B.