Characteristics of rotavirus gastroenteritis in hospitalized children in Pune.

Background : Diarrheal diseases affect millions of people around the world and have the greatest impact on children, especially those in developing countries. Rotavirus is now known to contribute significantly to the etiology of diarrheal diseases in both developing and developed countries. Objective : To study demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of rotavirus infection in cases of acute diarrhea admitted in the hospital who were below the age 5 years. Materials and methods : It was a prospective study conducted from June 2009 to June 2011 to determine characteristics, clinical profile, and antigenemia of rotavirus. The study group included patients up to 5 years of age hospitalized with a diagnosis of acute gastroenteritis. Statistical analysis was done using the chi-square test. Data were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 17.0. Results : From the 246 cases studied in the hospitalized patients of acute gastroenteritis, 88 cases (35.77%) were found to be positive for rotavirus infection. The occurrence of infection was found to be most common in the age group of 11-20 months (38.63%) followed by the age group of 0-10 months (23.86%). There was no association with the sex of the child. In rotavirus-positive patients, associated features were fever in 48.86%, vomiting in 29.54%, and pain in abdomen in 53.4% of cases. Seasonal variation of rotavirus infection was observed in the present study with peak in the winter season. It was found that 5.68% cases which were positive for rotavirus in their stool samples were positive for rotavirus present in their urine sample, suggesting extraintestinal manifestation of rotavirus. Conclusion : It is concluded that in spite of clean hygienic condition and vaccination rotavirus is still an important cause of infantile diarrhea in urban area like Pune. There is association between the occurrence of rotavirus and degree of dehydration, fever, vomiting, and pain in abdomen. Peak incidence was found in the months of December and January. There is association between the occurrence of rotavirus in stool and rotavirus in blood.