Assay of neutralizing antibodies to animal rotavirus strains and human rotavirus serotype G8 by a modified method in the residents of Pune, India.

In the western literature, four G serotypes (G1-G4) of human rotaviruses have been found to be of a major epidemiological importance. During the analysis of rotavirus serotypes from faecal samples in Pune, over 50% of specimens could not be serotyped with the available monoclonal antibodies against G1-G4 serotypes. The results prompted to look for the prevalence of neutralizing antibodies against serotypes other than the major human serotypes (G1-G4) in adults. Neutralizing antibodies against animal rotavirus serotype, viz. G3, G6 and G10, and human rotavirus serotype G8 were determined in adult sera, by a modified technique, which is ELISA-based and mechanized. The results showed that, of the 68 sera tested at 1:100 dilution, 65 (95.58%) were reactive for G3 (SA-11), 52 (76.47%) for G6 (Bovine Lincoln), 6 (8.82%) for G10 (B223), and 40 (58.82%) for G8 (M69) serotypes. It appears that the prevalence of rotaviruses in India may be quite different from that in the developed countries.