ABSTRACT
Faecal specimens from 202 children below 5 years with acute diarrhoea hospitalized in Assam Medical College from April, 1999 to March, 2000 were examined in Regional Medical Research Centre (ICMR), Dibrugarh to know the prevalence of rotavirus diarrhoea and molecular pattern of viral strains from different localities of Dibrugarh using double antibody sandwich ELISA and SDS-PAGE analysis. Human group A rotaviruses were detected in 47 (23.27%) specimens and 33 of 41 (80.49%) positive specimens were electropherotyped where 16 were "long" (48.48%) and 17 "short" (51.52%) types. Rotavirus diarrhoea was significantly high (p<0.01) in children between 11 to 20 months (37.75%). Children from families of upper middle socioeconomic status (61.59%) suffer most (p<0.001). Peak incidence of rotavirus diarrhoea was in winter (38.37%) and showed inverse relation with temperature, humidity and rainfall. Besides diarrhoea, vomiting was a significant clinical manifestation. "Short" electropherotype were common during winter months and in tea garden localities.