Comparative analysis of the full-length nucleotide sequences of two field strains of different HRV-C subspecies (N4 and N10) with those of other HRV species suggested that multiple interspecies recombination events occurred in the 59UTR and in the NS2A protein gene, and that recombination also occurred in the 39UTR between N4 and a strain close to N10. These findings are in agreement with those observed for other HEVs, for which recombination events in the capsid-encoding sequence are very rare, probably because of structural constraints that restrict the functioning of chimeric capsids [31] . This result appeals for the full-length genome sequencing of the major representatives of the HRV-C species, in order to establish a clear understanding of the evolution and classification of the novel virus into subspecies. Comparison of the coding sequences of N10 HRV-Cc with other strains of HRV-Ca subspecies [20] , including our field strain N4, showed high similarities in the lengths of the 11 proteins, their cleavage sites, and the structural features of VP1. These characteristics and the absence of growth in cell culture, noted in our laboratory and by others (data not shown), support the classification of the novel strains into a unique HRV-C subspecies.