Identification of a recombinant human astrovirus type 5 strain from an acute gastroenteritis outbreak in Beijing, China

Two samples positive for the same strain (2103CP) of human astrovirus (HAstV) were identified during an acute gastroenteritis outbreak in Beijing, China. A full genomic analysis showed that for both samples, open reading frame 1a (ORF1a) clustered with HAstV-1, whereas ORF1b and ORF2 clustered with HAstV-5. The recombination site was detected upstream of the region where ORF1a and ORF1b overlapped. Recombinant HAstV-5 strains were reported previously in China in 2013 and 2021. Our results indicate the need for continuous surveillance of the prevalence and evolution of this recombinant HAstV-5 in China.