SEQUENCE-ANALYSIS OF SRSV IN FECAL SPECIMENS FROM AN EPIDEMIC OF INFANTILE GASTROENTERITIS, OCTOBER TO DECEMBER 1995, JAPAN

From October to December in 1995, an epidemic of infantile gastroenter itis occurred all over Japan except in Hokkaido and Okinawa prefecture s. The number of infected infants and young children was estimated to be over 5 million cases [Editorial, IASR 1996]. The stool specimens fr om patients were examined for the presence of small round structured v iruses (SRSVs) by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR) and nucleotide sequencing of parts of the RNA-dependent RNA polym erase region. Thirty-five of 87 stool specimens examined gave positive results. Genomic variation was investigated by sequence analysis of a 327 bp cDNA region. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences o f the ten strains segregated into two distinct groups; one showed 96.0 -100% nucleotide and 99.1-100% amino acid identity, the others showed 91.4-99.7% nucleotide and 93.5-100% identity. The main mechanism of tr ansmission remains unknown. However, these data suggest the possibilit y of person-to-person spread by two or more kinds of SRSV. (C) 1997 Wi ley-Liss, Inc.