Martin Nyaga, University of the Free State

Martin M. Nyaga1, Celeste Donato2, Francis E. Dennis3, Khuzwayo C. Jere4 1Next Generation Sequencing Unit, School of Biomedical Sciences and Division of Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. 2Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia and Enteric Disease Group, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia. 3Department of Electron Microscopy and Histopathology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana. 4Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Program, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi.

Epidemiology, Evolution, and Diversity

There is a paucity of sequencing of African G1P[8] and G2P[4] strains; particularly from the vaccine-era. The African Enteric Viruses Genome Initiative (AEVGI) has conducted whole-genome characterisation of rotavirus strains from Ghana, Malawi and South Africa to gain insights into the long-term diversity and evolution of the two genotypes following Rotarix introduction.

Full-length whole genomes were resolved for both strains that circulated in children