[Data on the study of the epidemiology of rotavirus infection in Leningrad]. / Materialy k izucheniiu épidemiologii rotavirusnoi infektsii v Leningrade.

The results obtained in the study of rotavirus infection in Leningrad in 1984-1987 are presented. Enzyme immunoassay techniques were used for the examination of 4,715 children aged 0-14 years and 1,162 adults with diagnosed acute enteral infection of unknown etiology, as well as the control group of 556 of healthy children aged 0-6 years and 77 healthy adults. The rotavirus antigen was detected in 1.210 sick children (25.7%) and 133 sick adults (11.4%), as well as in 6 healthy children (1.1%), but not detected in healthy adults. The following epidemiological regularities of rotavirus infection were established: the highest sick rate among children aged 0-2 years and a low level of rotavirus carriership among healthy persons; the seasonal character of rotavirus infection, its outbreaks occurring in winter and the epidemic periods varying in their character and duration in different years; the prevailing role of rotaviruses in the development of winter rises of acute enteral infection of unknown etiology in the city among children aged 0-2 years. The problem of the respiratory syndrome in rotavirus diarrhea is discussed. The rotavirus antigen was detected in 39 out of 144 children (27%) with diagnosed acute respiratory virus diseases and in 4 out of 99 nasopharyngeal washings (4%) from diarrhea patients. Adenoviruses were shown to play an insignificant role in the etiology of diarrhea (10% of cases).

[Detection of rotavirus in the feces of children with diarrhea]. / Obnaruzhenie rotavirusa v fekaliiakh detei, bol'nykh diarei.

Bacteriological and virological examinations of feces from sick children diagnosed as having an "enteric infection of obscure etiology" were carried out. Out of 30 fecal specimens 6 showed positive results in agar gel diffusion test with antiserum to calf diarrhea rotavirus confirmed by electron microscopy. The relationship of virological and bacteriological findings and age of the patients was established. Differences in the clinical manifestations of the disease in virus-positive and virus-negative patients were observed.