Simian rotavirus (SA 11) in serodiagnosis of human rotavirus infections.

Tests were made on 169 sera from children up to 10 years of age for rotavirus antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence and complement fixation tests. The simian strain SA 11 served as a substitute antigen for the human rotavirus. Furthermore, the SA 11 complement-fixing antigen was compared with a commercial antigen of the bovine rotavirus strain NCDV. It was demonstrated that SA 11 which can be more easily propagated than most bovine strains, may be used as a substitute antigen in complement fixation and indirect immunofluorescence for serodiagnosis of human rotavirus infections.