by Chan Chuek Kee. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-201). / Abstract --- p.i / Table of Content --- p.iv / List of Abbreviations --- p.viii / List of Tables --- p.x / List of Figures --- p.xii / Acknowledgement --- p.xiii / Chapter Chapter 1. --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1. --- Discovery and historical events --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2. --- General characteristics of rotavirus --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2.1. --- Virus morphology --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2.2. --- Physicochemical properties --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2.3. --- Virus stability and inactivation --- p.4 / Chapter 1.2.4. --- Genome structure --- p.4 / Chapter 1.2.5. --- Rotavirus proteins --- p.5 / Chapter 1.2.6. --- Morphogenesis --- p.8 / Chapter 1.3. --- Characteristics of rotavirus infection --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3.1. --- Morbidity and mortality --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3.2. --- Clinical features --- p.11 / Chapter 1.3.3. --- Pathogenesis --- p.13 / Chapter 1.3.4. --- Seasonal variation of rotavirus infection --- p.13 / Chapter 1.3.5. --- Nosocomial rotavirus infection --- p.14 / Chapter 1.3.6. --- Route of transmission --- p.14 / Chapter 1.4. --- Classification and epidemiology of rotaviruses --- p.15 / Chapter 1.4.1. --- Rotavirus groups --- p.15 / Chapter 1.4.2. --- Rotavirus subgroups --- p.16 / Chapter 1.4.3. --- Rotavirus serotypes --- p.17 / Chapter 1.4.4. --- Rotavirus electropherotypes --- p.20 / Chapter 1.4.5. --- "Relationship between subgroup, serotype and electropherotype" --- p.23 / Chapter 1.4.6. --- Mechanisms contributing to strain variations --- p.24 / Chapter 1.5. --- Detection of rotavirus --- p.28 / Chapter 1.5.1. --- Electron microscopy (EM) --- p.28 / Chapter 1.5.2. --- Virus isolation --- p.29 / Chapter 1.5.3. --- Serological methods --- p.30 / Chapter 1.5.4. --- RNA analysis --- p.30 / Chapter 1.5.5. --- Nucleic acid hybridization --- p.31 / Chapter 1.6. --- Prevention and control of rotavirus infection --- p.32 / Chapter 1.6.1. --- Host resistance --- p.32 / Chapter 1.6.2. --- Vaccine development --- p.33 / Chapter 1.6.3. --- Passive immunization --- p.35 / Chapter 1.7. --- Objectives of this study --- p.36 / Chapter Chapter 2. --- Materials and methods / Chapter 2.1. --- Materials --- p.38 / Chapter 2.1.1. --- Reagents for tissue culture work --- p.38 / Chapter 2.1.2. --- Reagents for electropherotyping --- p.39 / Chapter 2.1.3. --- Reagents for ELISA --- p.42 / Chapter 2.1.4. --- Reagents for hybridization assay --- p.43 / Chapter 2.2. --- Methods / Chapter 2.2.1. --- Collection of specimens --- p.46 / Chapter 2.2.2. --- Rotavirus strains --- p.46 / Chapter 2.2.3. --- Monoclonal antibodies --- p.48 / Chapter 2.2.4. --- Detection of rotavirus antigen by ELISA --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2.5. --- Rotavirus electropherotyping --- p.50 / Chapter 2.2.6. --- Serotyping of rotavirus by fluorescent foci neutralization --- p.52 / Chapter 2.2.7. --- Serotyping of rotavirus by oligo- nucleotide probes hybridization --- p.55 / Chapter 2.2.8. --- Rotavirus serotyping by ELISA --- p.59 / Chapter 2.2.9. --- Rotavirus subgrouping by ELISA --- p.61 / Chapter Chapter 3. --- Results / Chapter 3.1. --- Age and sex distribution of the study population --- p.63 / Chapter 3.2. --- Detection of rotavirus by ELISA --- p.63 / Chapter 3.3. --- Seasonal distribution of rotavirus infections --- p.67 / Chapter 3.4. --- Genetic diversity of human rotaviruses --- p.74 / Chapter 3.5. --- Subgroup determination by ELISA --- p.99 / Chapter 3.6. --- Rotavirus serotypes by fluorescent foci neutralization (FFN) --- p.102 / Chapter 3.7. --- Rotavirus serotypes by ELISA --- p.107 / Chapter 3.8. --- Rotavirus serotypes as determined by oligonucleotide probes --- p.110 / Chapter 3.8.1. --- Dot hybridization --- p.110 / Chapter 3.8.2. --- Northern blots of electrophoresed RNAs --- p.118 / Chapter 3.9. --- Temporal distribution of rotavirus serotypes --- p.124 / Chapter 3.10. --- "Association between serotype, subgroups and electropherotypes" --- p.128 / Chapter 3.11. --- Unusual rotavirus strains --- p.135 / Chapter 3.12. --- Nosocomial rotavirus infection --- p.135 / Chapter Chapter 4. --- Discussion / Chapter 4.1. --- Seasonal variation of rotavirus infection --- p.141 / Chapter 4.2. --- Molecular epidemiology of rotavirus infection --- p.143 / Chapter 4.3. --- Subgrouping of human rotavirus strains --- p.146 / Chapter 4.4. --- Serotyping rotaviruses by ELISA --- p.147 / Chapter 4.5. --- Serotyping rotaviruses by oligonucleotide probe hybridization --- p.150 / Chapter 4.6 --- Advantage and disadvantage of different methods for serotyping of rotaviruses --- p.152 / Chapter 4.7. --- Distribution of rotavirus serotypes --- p.153 / Chapter 4.8. --- Association between rotavirus serotype and electropherotype --- p.156 / Chapter 4.9. --- Nosocomial rotavirus infection --- p.158 / Chapter 4.10. --- Unusual rotavirus strains --- p.159 / Chapter 4.11. --- Concluding remark --- p.162 / Chapter 4.12. --- Future studies --- p.164 / References --- p.165