Sequencing of Rotavirus Strains from human and porcine. Rotavirus

Rotaviruses (RVs) cause severe gastroenteritis in children and young animals and account for around 600,000 deaths annually in children under five years of age. Similarities between RV strains found in pigs and humans suggest that pigs may serve as a reservoir for human rotavirus or co-infections may result in reassortment between related human and pig strains. However, information on porcine RV distribution and in the context of the prevalent human RV strains is limited. Information on the prevalence and epidemiology of group B and C RVs is lacking for both humans and animals, with no vaccines available. As part of this project we will sequence rotavirus strains from both human and porcine to study the distribution and the possibility of interspecies transmission of group A, B and C RVs between humans and pigs.