IDENTIFICATION OF BOVINE ROTAVIRUSES IN VENEZUELA - ANTIGENIC AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF A BOVINE ROTAVIRUS STRAIN

Two serotypes of bovine group A rotaviruses were demonstrated by enzym e-linked immunoassay (ELISA) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (P AGE) in 20 of 171 faecal samples collected from diarrhoeic calves in t wo dairy farms in Venezuela, By serotyping ELISA using G and P serotyp e-specific monoclonal antibodies, bovine rotaviruses (BRV) circulating on one farm were identified as serotype G6, while BRVs circulating on the other farm were identified as serotype Gig. Only one BRV (033) co uld be successfully isolated in MA104 cells, and the nucleotide sequen ces of the VP7 and the VP8 trypsin-cleavage product of the VP4 were d etermined, Cross-neutralization tests and comparative sequence analysi s showed that BRV 033 belonged to serotype G6 and genotype P1. This is the first report of BRVs identified in Venezuela.