Genomic RNA constellation of recently emerging serotype G14 equine rotavirus strains in Japan that is highly homologous with prototype G3 and G14 strains previously identified in the United States of America

Summary.

 Serotype G14 was once considered to be uncommon among equine rotaviruses. While it sporadically emerged in some parts of the world, serotype G14 became the dominant G serotype among rotaviruses detected in foals with diarrhea in Japan in the late 1990s. However, it is not known how such recently emerging G14 rotaviruses are related in their overall genomic RNA constellation to prototype G14 strain identified earlier in the United States of America or how they were generated and why they have dominated over G3 equine rotaviruses. Genogrouping by RNA–RNA hybridization revealed that recently emerging serotype G14 equine rotavirus strains had an overall genomic RNA constellation that was highly conserved not only with contemporary and earlier G3 strains in Japan but also with prototype G3 and G14 strains previously identified in the United States of America. Japanese G14 rotavirus strains are likely to have originated form a VP7 gene substitution reassortant that had been formed earlier in the United States of America on the background of the then dominant G3 equine rotavirus.