Mutations in the main antigenic sites of VP7 and VP8* from G3P[8] rotavirus a strains circulating in Brazil may impact immune evasion to rotavirus vaccination

In the post-rotavirus (RVA) vaccination era, uncommon and zoonotic strains have emerged as causative agents of acute gastroenteritis in humans, including the equine-like G3P[8] strains. First identified in 2013, this strain has quickly spread worldwide, reaching the position of the most prevalent genotype in many countries, including Brazil. Here, we report full genotype characterization and phylogenetic analysis of two equine-like G3P[8] strains detected in Goiás, a state in the Cerrado biome of the Brazilian Midwestern region, during the year of 2019. The strains were detected in different socioeconomic and demographic contexts: GO-MR from an asymptomatic adult living in a rural traditional community and GO-H5 from a symptomatic child from the state capital, with access to safe drinking water and essential sanitation services. These strains also displayed different backbone constellations considering the NSP2 gene segment (G3-P[8]-I2-R2-C2-M2-A2-N2-T2-E2-H2 for GO-MR and G3-P[8]-I2-R2-C2-M2-A2-N1-T2-E2-H2 for GO-H5). Furthermore, significant mutations in the main epitope sites of the VP7 and VP8* proteins of the detected strains, and other Brazilian G3P[8] viruses, were found with the comparison to RV1 and RV5 vaccine proteins, indicating a potential ability of these viruses to evade vaccine protection, which may contribute to their prevalence both nationally and globally. In summary, this study corroborates the genetic diversity of equine-like G3P[8] DS-1-like strains circulating worldwide, highlights the epidemiological importance of adults as reservoirs of RVA and shows the substantial differences between these emerging strains and the currently used anti-RVA vaccines, which may partially explain their predominance due to potential evasion of vaccine-induced protection.