Detection and characterization of Genogroup 5 Rotavirus associated with piglet diarrhoea in the North East Region of India

Rotaviruses have been recognized as an important etiological agent of non-bacterial acute gastroenteritis in young children and animals of several species worldwide, including diarrhoea in weaning and post-weaning piglets. In this study, we report the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of rotaviruses detected from piglets in different regions of the north-eastern hilly region of India. A total of 457 faecal samples (339 diarrhoeal and 118 non-diarrhoeal) were collected from piglets from local (n = 130) and cross breed (n = 327) piglets between July 2013 to June 2015 in different seasons of the year. All the samples were subjected to RNA-PAGE and RT-PCR analysis. Rotaviruses were detected in 4.81% animals by RNA-PAGE and 7.43% animals by RT-PCR, with the highest prevalence (9.67%) from Meghalaya state. All the isolates were recorded as GARV and genogroup 5. The prevalence was higher in unorganized farms (10.77%) compared to organized farms (4.0%) with higher detection from diarrhoeic (9.14%) compared to non-diarrhoeic animals (2.54%). A higher prevalence was also recorded during the summer (12.5%) and winter (9.09%) seasons. On the basis of the sequence analysis, all the isolates were placed in a unique single cluster, different from other Indian isolates from humans and animals, which were in close proximity with human isolates. This is the first report of the detection of G5 Rotavirus associated with piglet diarrhoea in India.