DETECTION RATES OF ROTAVIRUS ANTIGEN FROM DIARRHEAL PATIENTS IN LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

The detection rate of rotaviruses from diarrheal stools in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) was studied in the period from 1994 to 2003. Rotavirus antigen was detected using latex agglutination kit. The average detection rate was 2.4%, or 18 of 738 cases examined in total. Rotavirus was not detected from 175 cases examined in 1995, 1998, 2000 and 2003, but 8 of 85 cases (9.4%) examined in 1997 were positive for rotavirus. The detection rate was 6.0% in the age group younger than 2 years and 0.6% in the age group older than 2 years. These detection rates were markedly lower than those in neighboring countries such as Vietnam and Thailand.