Study of Complete Genome Sequences of Rotavirus A Epidemics and Evolution in Japan in 2012-2014

A comprehensive molecular epidemiological study using next-generation sequencing technology was conducted on 333 rotavirus A (RVA)-positive specimens collected from six sentinel hospitals across Japan over three consecutive seasons (2012-2014). The majority of the RVA isolates were grouped into five genotype constellations: Wa-like G1P[8], DS-1-like G1P[8], G2P[4], G3P[8] and G9P[8]. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the distribution of strains varied by geographical locations and epidemic seasons. The VP7 genes of different G types were estimated to evolve at 7.26 x 10(-4) - 1.04 x 10(-3) nucleotide substitutions per site per year. The Bayesian time-scaled tree of VP7 showed that the time to the most recent common ancestor of epidemic strains within a region was 1-3 years, whereas that of the epidemic strains across the country was 2-6 years. This study provided, for the first time, the timeframe during which an epidemic strain spread locally and within the country and baseline information needed to predict how rapidly RVAs spread.