Journal of Medical Virology 82:510–518 (2010) Detection and Molecular Characterization of Human

Rotaviruses are one of the most important causes of gastroenteritis in children under 5 years old. Analysis of G and P rotavirus genotypes in circulation is crucial in evaluating the appropri-acy of mass vaccination of children worldwide. Overall, 592 stool samples were collected in Tirana (Albania), the Salento peninsula (South Italy), and three different hospitals in Rome (Central Italy). Of the total samples, 31.3 % were rotavirus positive in Albania, 78.3 % in the Sale-nto, and 40.3 % in Rome. The samples collected in Tirana and Rome were G–P typed, whereas the samples collected in the Salento were only G typed. Overall, in Italy the most frequent combi-nations were G4 P[8] (54.5%), G1 P[8] (27.3%), an