Surveillance of human astrovirus circulation in Italy 2002-2005: emergence of lineage 2c strains
- Authors: De Grazia, S; Platia, MA; Rotolo, V; Colomba, C; Martella, V; Giammanco, G
- Publication year: 2011
- Type: Articolo in rivista (Articolo in rivista)
- Key words: Astrovirus, gastroenteritis, genotyping, Italy, sequence analysis
- OA Link: http://hdl.handle.net/10447/52744
Abstract
By screening faecal samples collected over four consecutive years (2002-2005) from hospitalized children with diarrhoea in Palermo, Italy, astroviruses (HAstVs) were detected in 3.95% of the patients. The predominant type circulating was HAstV-1 but, in 2002, only HAstV-2 and -4 were identified. Interestingly, the HAstVs-2 detected appeared to be consistently different in 5' end of their open reading frame 2 from the previously described subtypes. These novel type 2 strains were included in a new 2c lineage based on the phylogenetic analysis and the presence of nine peculiar substitutions.