Susan Afua Damanka, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana

Damanka Susan Afua (Department of Electron Microscopy and Histopathology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana) Dennis Francis Ekow (Department of Electron Microscopy and Histopathology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana) Agbemabiese Chantal Ama (Department of Electron Microscopy and Histopathology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana) Lartey Belinda Larteley (Department of Electron Microscopy and Histopathology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana) Kwofie Sabina (Department of Electron Microscopy and Histopathology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana) Frederick Asamoah (Department of Electron Microscopy and Histopathology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana) Armah George Enyimah (Department of Electron Microscopy and Histopathology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana)

Epidemiology, Evolution, and Diversity

Rotavirus continues to be a major cause of severe gastroenteritis in young children globally. Although vaccines have substantially reduced disease burden, the emergence of novel reassortant strains poses persistent challenges for surveillance and vaccine efficacy. In this study, the strain RVA/Human-wt/GHA/M0084/2010/G6P[14] was identified in a Ghanaian infant with diarrhea. Full genome sequencing using Illumina MiSeq revealed its genotype constellation as G6-P[14]-I2-R2-C2-M2-A11-N2-T6-E2-H3. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed it to be a human-bovine reassortant rotavirus A strain. To trace the origins of its genes, we compared the DS-1-like genome segments (I2, R2, C2, M2, N2, E2) of M0084 with those of human DS-1-like rotavirus A strains circulating in Ghana, including G2P[4], G2P[6], G8P[6], and G8P[1]. The segments showed genetic relatedness to locally prevalent strains which circulated from 2008 - 2013, despite nucleotide sequence divergences ranging from 1.8% to 7%. This finding supports the hypothesis that reassortant strains mostly emerge from endemic rotavirus populations rather than through external introductions. Elucidating the origins of unusual reassortant strains is vital for refining vaccine design, enhancing surveillance systems, and minimizing risks to vaccine effectiveness. Continued monitoring of such strains is critical to inform public health strategies in regions where rotavirus remains endemic.