Rotaviruses (RVs) are the main cause of acute viral gastroenteritis in both humans and young animals of species such as calves, horses, pigs, dogs, cats, and birds. The genetic diversity of RVs is related to a variety of evolutionary mechanisms, including point mutation, genome reassortment, and reassortment. The objective of this study was realized the molecular charaxterization of the genes that encode structural and nonstructural proteins in unusual RV strains. The clinical specimens selected for this study were obtained from children and newborns with RV gastroenteritis, who participated in research projects on viral gastroenteritis conducted at the Evandro Chagas Institute. Structural (VP1-VP4, VP6, and VP7) and nonstructural (NSP1-NSP6) genes were amplified from stool samples by the polymerase chain reaction and subsequently sequenced. Eight unusual RV strains isolated from children and newborns with gastroenteritis were studied. Reassortments between genes of animal origin were observed in 5/8 (62.5%) strains analyzed. These results demonstrate that, although rare, interspecies (animal-human) transmission of RVs occurs in nature, as observed in the present study in strains NB150, HSP034, HSP180, HST327, and RV10109. This study is the first of its kind conducted in the Amazon region and supports previous data showing a close relationship between genes of human and animal origin, representing a challenge to the large-scale introduction of RV vaccines in national immunization programs.
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