Comparison of the genome ds RNA of human rotavirus strains shed in parts of Ibadan, Nigeria.

The incidence and genome electropherotypes of human rotavirus detected in a hospital and in a community within Ibadan, Nigeria were compared by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. On the whole, 13% (31/239) rotavirus was detected; 14.7% (15/102) from the community and 11.7% (16/137) from the hospital. The incidence was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in the community than in the hospital. There were 11 (80.0%) long and 3 (20.0%) short forms observed in the community, whereas 14 (87.5%) long and 2 (12.5%) short froms were detected in the hospital. On co-electrophoresis, however, only 4 and 6 distinct electropherotypes were demonstrated in the hospital and the community respectively. Three of these were common to both places with 1 and 3 electropherotypes being unique to the hospital and the community, respectively.