OBJECTIVETo investigate the genetic characteristics of coxsackievirus A10(CV-A10) strains isolated from hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases in Ningxia province.

METHODSBased on the HFMD laboratory network surveillance system, 2 470 patients clinical specimens including 450 faeces and 2 020 throat swaps were collected from various regions people's hospital in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region during January, 2013 to December, 2014. All specimens were isolated using rhabdomyosarcoma cells. VP1 regional gene of isolated strains was amplified by RT-PCR using degenerate primers and sequenced. Sequences were compared with the database of GenBank by the Blast algorithm to identify the enterovirus genotypes. All the CV-A10 strains were performed the homology and phylogenetic evolution analysis.

RESULTS450 specimens identified as non-EV-A71, non-CV-A16 enterovirus were collected and 36 CV-A10 strains were isolated, 6 strains were isolated in 2013 and 30 strains were isolated in 2014. The homology of nucleotides and amino acids among 36 CV-A10 strains were 90.6%-100.0% , and 90.2%-100.0%, respectively. Compared 36 strains with genotype A, B, C, D representative strains, it has the highest homology with the genotype C, the nucleotide and amino acids homogeneity were 90.2%-98.9% and 95.7%-99.7%. The phylogenetic tree showed 36 strains and genotype C representative strains located in the same evolutionary branch.

CONCLUSIONCV-A10 was one of the most common pathogen of HFMD in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. All CV-A10 strains belonged to genotype C and contained wide homology range.