Prevalence of neutralizing antibodies to 9 rotavirus strains representing 7 G-serotypes in sheep sera

Neutralizing antibodies to 9 rotavirus strains representing serotypes G1, G3, G5, G6, G8, G9 and G10 were investigated in 212 ovine serum samples from 3 age groups, 1-week-old lambs, 2-to 3-months-old lambs and adult sheep. All sera from 1-week-old lambs had neutralizing antibodies to all 9 rotavirus strains. Both neutralizing antibody titers and prevalences to all 9 strains markedly decreased in the 2-to 3-months-old lamb group and increased again in the adult sheep group. Also. adult sheep sera neutralized a larger number of rotavirus strains than 2-to 3-months-old lamb sera. The highest neutralizing antibody titers and prevalences were found to strains B223 and K923, representing serotype G10, to strain RRV, representing serotype G3, and to strain NCDV, representing serotype G6, indicating that these could be the predominant 3 rotavirus serotypes in Spanish sheep. The rotavirus serotypes infecting sheep observed by us differ from those described for cattle, where G6 is the most prevalent serotype followed by G10, and G3 has been seldom found. Very low prevalences were observed for strains WA and OSU representing serotypes G1 and G5 respectively, suggesting that they probably do not infect sheep and neutralizing antibodies found are derived from heterotypic responses to other serotypes. Intermediate prevalences and titers were found to strains UK (serotype G6), 69M (serotype G8) and WI61 (serotype G9). Neutralizing antibodies distinguished between different strains sharing their VP7 specificity: B223 and K923, a bovine and an ovine serotype G10 strains, and NCDV and UK, two serotype G6 bovine rotavirus strains with different VP4 antigen.