Rotaviruses are an important cause of severe diarrheal illness in children globally. We characterized rotaviruses sampled in humans, insectivores (shrews) and rodents from urban and rural regions of Zhejiang province, China. Phylogenetic analyses revealed seven genotypic constellations of human rotaviruses with six different combinations of G and P genotypes – G3P[8] (50.06%), G9P[8] (36.16%), G1P[8] (8.92%), G2P[4] (4.63%), G3P[3] (0.12%), and G3P[9] (0.12%). In rodents and shrews sampled from the same locality we identified a novel genotype constellation (G32-P[46]-I24-R18-C17-M17-A28-N17-T19-E24-H19), a novel P genotype (P[45]), and two different AU-1-like rotaviruses associated with a G3P[3] genotype combination. Of particular note was a novel rotavirus from a human patient that was closely related to viruses sampled from rodents in the same region, indicative of a local species jump. In sum, these data are suggestive of the cross-species transmission of rodent rotaviruses into humans and for reassortment among human and animal rotaviruses. Highlights • Rotaviruses are an important cause of severe diarrheal illness. • Although rotaviruses are associated with a diverse range of animals, relatively little attention has been directed toward rotaviruses in rodents. • However, as rodents often live in close proximity to humans and domestic animals, rodents may play an important role in the cross-species transmission of rotaviruses among animals and perhaps directly or indirectly to humans. • Our data suggest the direct spill-over of rodent rotaviruses in human populations, as well as the reassortment between human and zoonotic rotaviruses.
【저자키워드】 Evolution, Genotype, rodents, rotavirus, human infection, shrews, Reassortment,