Identification of novel Ghanaian G8P[6] human-bovine reassortant rotavirus strain by next generation sequencing

Group A rotaviruses (RVAs) are the most important etiological agent of acute gastroenteritis in children <5 years of age worldwide. The monovalent rotavirus vaccine Rotarix was introduced into the national Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) in Ghana in May 2012. However, there is a paucity of genetic and phylogenetic data on the complete genomes of human RVAs in circulation pre-vaccine introduction. The common bovine rotavirus VP7 genotype G8 has been sporadically detected in Ghanaian children, usually in combination with the VP4 genotype P[6]. To investigate the genomic constellations and phylogeny of RVA strains in circulation prior to vaccine introduction, the full genomes of two unusual G8P[6] strains, GH018-08 and GH019-08, detected during burden of disease surveillance, were characterized by Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The Ghanaian isolates, GH018-08 and GH019-08, exhibited the unusual, previously unreported genotype constellation G8-P[6]-I2-R2-C2-M2-A2-N2-T2-E2-H3. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed that 10 out of the 11 genes of GH018-08 and GH019-08 were identical/nearly identical, with significant variation detected only in their VP1 genes, and clearly established the occurrence of multiple independent interspecies transmission and reassortment events between cocirculating bovine/ovine/caprine rotaviruses and human DS-1-like RVA strains. These findings highlight the contribution of reassortment and interspecies transmission events to the high rotavirus diversity in this region of Africa, and justify the need for simultaneous monitoring of animal and human rotavirus strains.