Rotavirus A infection in pre- and post-vaccine period: Risk factors, genotypes distribution by vaccination status and age of children in Nampula Province, Northern Mozambique (2015-2019)

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 6;16(8):e0255720. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255720. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Mozambique introduced the monovalent rotavirus vaccine (Rotarix®, GSK Biologicals, Rixensart, Belgium) in September 2015. Previous analysis, showed that Nampula province continues reporting a high frequency of Rotavirus A (RVA) infection and the emergence of G9P[6], G9P[4] and G3P[4] genotypes. This analysis aimed to determine the RVA frequency; risk factors; genotype distribution by vaccination status and age between pre- and post-vaccine periods in children under-five years old with diarrhea in Nampula. A cross-sectional, hospital-based surveillance study was conducted in the Hospital Central de Nampula in Mozambique. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected to assess factors related to RVA infection in both periods. Stool specimens were screened to detect RVA by ELISA, and positive samples were genotyped. Between 2015 (pre-vaccine period) and 2016-2019 (post-vaccine period), 614 stool specimens were collected and tested for RVA in which 34.9% (67/192) were positive in pre-vaccine period and 21.8% (92/422) in post-vaccine (p = 0.001). In the post-vaccine period, age, year, and contact with different animal species (chicken, duck, or multiple animals) were associated with RVA infection. RVA infection was higher in children partially vaccinated (40.7%, 11/27) followed by the fully vaccinated (29.3%, 56/191) and the unvaccinated (15.3%, 21/137) (p = 0.002). G1P[8] and G9P[4] were common in vaccinated children less than 12 months. The present analysis showed that RVA infection reduced slightly in the post-vaccine period, with a high proportion of infection and genotype diversity in children, under 12 months of age, vaccinated. Further research on factors associated with RVA infection on vaccinated compared to unvaccinated children and vaccination optimization should be done.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Child, Preschool
  • Diarrhea / epidemiology
  • Diarrhea / genetics
  • Diarrhea / prevention & control*
  • Diarrhea / virology
  • Feces / virology
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Risk Factors
  • Rotavirus / drug effects
  • Rotavirus / genetics*
  • Rotavirus / pathogenicity
  • Rotavirus Infections / epidemiology
  • Rotavirus Infections / genetics
  • Rotavirus Infections / prevention & control*
  • Rotavirus Infections / virology
  • Rotavirus Vaccines / administration & dosage*
  • Rotavirus Vaccines / adverse effects
  • Vaccination
  • Vaccines, Attenuated / administration & dosage
  • Vaccines, Attenuated / adverse effects

Substances

  • RIX4414 vaccine
  • Rotavirus Vaccines
  • Vaccines, Attenuated

Grants and funding

The National Surveillance of Diarrhea was supported by GAVI through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta and World Health Organization, Regional Office for Africa (WHO / AFRO). N.dD. has a fellowship of the European Foundation Initiative into African Research in Neglected Tropical Diseases (EFINTD, grant number 89539); E.D.J. Ph.D. is supported by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. B.A.M., A.C. and S.B. received a scholarship from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG; grant number JO369/5-1); B.M., A.C., and J.C are fellows of Fundo Nacional de Investigação (FNI); LG was supported by Fundação para Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal (UID/04413/2020, UIDB/00006/2020, UIDP/00006/2020. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.