SEQUENCE CONSERVATION OF THE MAJOR OUTER CAPSID GLYCOPROTEIN OF HUMANGROUP-C ROTAVIRUSES

Several outbreaks of Group C rotavirus infection have occurred in the United Kingdom, in one instance infection was associated with the deat h of a 4-month-old infant in the Bristol area. The origin of human gro up C rotavirus is unknown although there has been some speculation tha t porcine species may be a possible source of human infection. Direct reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction sequencing of VP7 gene s from two UK outbreaks (Bristol and Preston) and sequence analysis fr om a sporadic case of infection from Brazil (Belem) showed that each o f these genes was identical in size (1,063 bp) and has revealed a surp rising level (97.8-99.8%) of gene sequence conservation. Sequence comp arisons with an isolate from Japan imply that the human group C rotavi ruses so far characterised originate from a recent common ancestor wit h a worldwide distribution, (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.