Abstract:
Rotavirus remains a leading cause of severe diarrhoea in children worldwide,
especially in developing countries where about 2000 children die each day from
rotavirus-related gastroenteritis infection. Due to HIV/AIDS scourge in Kenya, it is
possible that rotavirus caused gastroenteritis has been aggravated. The Global
Alliance for Immunizations has ranked rotavirus as a priority for vaccine. To ensure
the success of this, it is important to document the local strain(s) of rotavirus in
circulation in various regions. This study was aimed at characterizing human
rotavirus group A serotypes causing gastroenteritis among children below 5 years of
age and HIV-infected adults in Viwandani slum, Nairobi. A cross-sectional, hospital
based study was conducted and a total of 260 faecal specimen samples were
collected for analysis (128 from children and 132 from HIV infected adults) during
the period between August 2012- July 2013 from two health centres in viwandani
slums in Nairobi. The samples were detected for rotavirus strains using antigen based
enzyme immune-sorbent assay (ELISA) to detect the prevalence of rotavirus
infection, Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to detect rotavirus
electropherotypes and finally genotyping was done by RT-PCR to confirm rotavirus
genotypes using genotype-specific primer sets targeting VP4 and VP7 genes.
Rotavirus was detected in 23% and 8% of children and adults respectively. This
study found out that rotavirus was in circulation throughout the year however, with
high incidence cases being detected during wet and cold months of March April and
November and dry month of August. Prevalence was high among children aged two
yrs and adults above age of 48 yrs. The common globally distributed strains, G1 and
G3, accounted for 60% detections while the unusual G9 strain accounted for 80%
infection in adults. G1[P8] was the common genotypic combination in children,
accounting for 40% infection, whereas G9[P8] accounted for 60% of the infection in
adults. This study concludes that there is strain diversity in rotavirus circulating in
Viwandani slums in Nairobi. In addition, the study asserts that the two rotavirus
vaccines recommended for world, cover all the circulating in Viwandani. It is
recommended that molecular epidemiology of rotavirus especially in low income
settlement be a continuous process especially among HIV infected.
