Impact of Vaccination on Rotavirus Genotype Diversity: A Nearly Two-Decade-Long Epidemiological Study before and after Rotavirus Vaccine Introduction in Sicily, Italy
Floriana Bonura,
Leonardo Mangiaracina,
Chiara Filizzolo,
Celestino Bonura,
Vito Martella,
Max Ciarlet,
Giovanni M. Giammanco,
Simona De Grazia
Affiliations
Floriana Bonura
Department of Health, Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, Piazza delle Cliniche 2, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Leonardo Mangiaracina
Department of Health, Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, Piazza delle Cliniche 2, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Chiara Filizzolo
Department of Health, Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, Piazza delle Cliniche 2, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Celestino Bonura
Department of Health, Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, Piazza delle Cliniche 2, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Vito Martella
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70010 Valenzano, Italy
Max Ciarlet
Clinical Development, Icosavax, Seattle, WA 98102, USA
Giovanni M. Giammanco
Department of Health, Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, Piazza delle Cliniche 2, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Simona De Grazia
Department of Health, Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, Piazza delle Cliniche 2, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Sicily was the first Italian region to introduce rotavirus (RV) vaccination with the monovalent G1P[8] vaccine Rotarix® in May 2012. In this study, the seasonal distribution and molecular characterization of RV strains detected over 19 years were compared to understand the effect of Rotarix® on the evolutionary dynamics of human RVs. A total of 7846 stool samples collected from children ® and RotaTeq® vaccine strains showed specific aa changes in the antigenic epitopes of VP7 and of the VP8* portion of VP4 of the Italian RV strains. Molecular epidemiological surveillance data are required to monitor the emergence of novel RV strains and ascertain if these strains may affect the efficacy of RV vaccines.
