RESUMO
PURPOSE: There were a few reports for epidemiologic changes of rotavirus gastroenteritis during recent several years in Korea. We tried to know what is characteristics for the prevalence of rotavirus gastroenteritis in Jeju different from epidemiology of the other domestic area. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 211 patients with rotavirus gastroenteritis admitted to the pediatric ward at Cheju National University hospital, from December 2001 to June 2005. We defined as rotavirus infection that was positive on immunochromatography method applied to stool samples. RESULTS: Two hundred eleven patients with rotavirus gastroenteritis consisted of 13 patients in December 2001, 32 in 2002, 79 in 2003, 48 patients in 2004 and 39 in 2005 (until June). The monthly distributions, during 3 years from 2002 to 2004, were 40 patients (25.2%) in Jaunary, 56 (35.2%) in February, 31 (19.5%) in March and 23 (14.5%) in April. From May to December, there were only 9 patients (5.6%). Therefore, the prevalences of rotavirus gastroenteritis were concentrated on the 4 months (94.4%) including January, February, March and April. Also, the changes of the monthly distributions from January 2002 to June 2005 were not present. CONCLUSION: In recent years, the monthly distributions of rotavirus gastroenteritis in Jeju area were centered on the 4 months from January to April without prominent seasonal variation.