Astrovirus detection rates in various age groups of children hospitalized during 2009–2010.

<p>The data labels indicate the percentage of positive samples among each age group (1a). Month wise distribution of astrovirus positive samples between January, 2009 to December, 2010 (1b).</p

Phylogenetic analysis of Human Astrovirus strains identified in this study based on the partial ORF2 region (348 bases) encoding outer capsid precursor protein.

<p>The reference strains and closest match isolates detected through BLAST are given for genetic comparison. The phylogenetic tree with 500 bootstrap replicates was reconstructed using neighbor joining method and the K-2P model through MEGA 4.0. Serotype-1 strains were compared to four prototype strains (USA-GenBank accession number L23513, isolated in 1994), United Kingdom (GenBank accession number Z25771, isolated in 1990), Japan (GenBank accession number AB009985, isolated in 1997) and Germany (GenBank accession number AY720892). Taxa with arrow head indicates prototype strains within each serotype.</p

Nucleotide mutations and Amino acid substitutions identified in 5′UTR and P1 Coding region of Index case (1321) and cVDPVs.

<p>Nucleotide mutations and Amino acid substitutions identified in 5′UTR and P1 Coding region of Index case (1321) and cVDPVs.</p

Sequence and position of Primer pairs used for PCR and Sequencing.

<p>Sequence and position of Primer pairs used for PCR and Sequencing.</p

The distribution of HPeV infections in Pakistan during 2008 is presented with months given on X-axis.

<p>The data labels on Y-axis indicate the number of total and positive samples for each genotype across the year. Total number of cases is indicated by solid black line indicating typical peak season for gastroenteritis in summer (monsoon/rainy season) months. The number of cases positive for each genotype is indicated with different bar-style.</p

All cVDPVs type2 isolated from Nad Ali district of Helmand province are indicated with round circle filled in black color.

<p>Other globally reported cVDPVs type 2 has retrieved from GenBank to reconstruct phylogenetic tree from VP1 coding sequences using neighbor-joining algorithm with Kimura 2-parameter substitution model.</p

Demographic description of index case (AFG09/1321) and cVDPVs circulating in Southern Afghanistan.

<p>Demographic description of index case (AFG09/1321) and cVDPVs circulating in Southern Afghanistan.</p

Comparison of VP7 antigenic epitope sites between Pakistani G3 strains and rotavirus vaccine Rotarix^TM and RotaTeq^TM.

<p><b>(A)</b> Antigenic residues are divided into three antigenic epitopes 7-1a, 7-1b and 7–2. Amino acid highlighted in green are those that differ from G3 strain of RotaTeq^TM while those in gray are different from Rotarix^TM. <b>(B)</b> Surface representation of VP7 trimer (PDB 3FMG). Antigenic epitopes are colored in red 7-1a, purple 7-1b and green 7–2. Surface exposed residues that differ between Pakistani G3 and vaccine strains of Rotarix^TM and RotaTeq^TM are shown in cyan.</p

Phylogenetic analysis of VP7 gene segment of G3 rotavirus strains.

<p>Phylogenetic tree was reconstructed using neighbor-joining method. Bootstrap values were calculated using 1000 replicates. Bootstrap values less than 60 are not shown. Filled triangles represent G3 strains detected in this study.</p

Alignment of antigenic residues in VP4 between the strains contained in Rotarix^TM and RotaTeq^TM and Pakistani P[8] and P[4].

<p><b>(A)</b> Antigenic residues are divided in three antigenic epitopes in VP8* (8–1, 8–2, 8–3 and 8–4). Amino acids in green are different from both Rotarix^TM and G3 strain of RotaTeq^TM. <b>(B)</b> Surface representation of the VP8* core (PDB 1KQR). Antigenic epitopes are colored red 8–1, orange 8–2, green 8–3 and blue 8–4. Surface exposed residues that differ between Pakistani G3P[8] and vaccine Rotarix^TM and RotaTeq^TM are shown in cyan.</p