An outbreak of gastroenteritis due to group C rotavirus in Tokyo

Abstract

In April 1991, an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis due to group C rotavirus occurred at an elementary school in Tokyo. Fifty-one (13%) of 393 students became ill. The main clinical symptoms were diarrhea (100%), abdominal pain (68%) and vomiting (56%). No enteropathogenic bacteria were found in the fecal specimens. However, the virus particles morphologically indistinguishable from conventional rotavirus were detected in 6 of 11 fecal specimens by electron microscopy. Immune electron microscopy showed that these virions aggregated with anti-group C rotavirus serum. The RNA pattern of the virus particles involved in this outbreak showed a pattern similar to that of typical group C rotavirus on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.