Characterization of rotaviruses isolated from pigs with diarrhoea in Venezuela

The prevalence of porcine rotavirus infection was studied in 15 different herds located in the north-western region of Venezuela. The presence of rotavirus was studied by direct electron microscopy (EM) and by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). From 136 samples analyzed during the six months of the study (September 1983–February 1984), 38 (27.9%) were found to be positive for rotaviruses, with infection more common in animals that were 4–6 weeks old. Atypical rotaviruses were not detected in any of the samples examined. Most rotavirus positive specimens were subgrouped using specific monoclonal antibodies in an ELISA test. The majority of the samples (26 out of 38) were found to exhibit Subgroup I antigenicity. Only two specimens, collected from the same herd in two consecutive months, were found to belong to Subgroup II. To characterize further the circulating rotaviruses, electrophoretic analysis of the RNA genome was performed on samples selected from nine different herds. Great variability in the RNA electropherotypes was observed. No correlation was found between subgroup specificity and the migration of the two smaller segments (Genes 10 and 11), as has been described for human rotaviruses.