Isolation and characterization of a rare group A rotavirus G13P[18] strain from a diarrhoeic foal in Japan

A rare genotype G13P[18] group A rotavirus (RVA/Horse-tc/JPN/MK9/2019/G13P[18]) was isolated from a diarrhoeic foal for the first time in 28 years. The genotype constellation of the virus was assigned to G13-P[18]-I6-R9-C9-M6-A6-N9-T12-E14-H11 and was the same as that of the first isolated strain, RVA/Horse-tc/GBR/L338/1991/G13P[18]. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the virus is related to RVA/Horse-tc/GBR/L338/1991/G13P[18] and is distant from typical equine rotaviruses of the G3P[12] and G14P[12] genotypes.