RESUMO
We tested by electron microscopy 7,530 samples from children admitted to different hospitals in Sofia between February 1981 and February 1986; from these, rotaviruses were found in 725 (9.6%) faecal samples. Electron microscopic analysis of 264 samples from 181 children admitted to the hospital of infectious diseases in Shumen between December 1984 to February 1986 revealed rotaviruses in 120 (66.6%) of the tested children. A part of the samples positive by electron microscopy was tested by ELISA and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for rotavirus RNA segment patterns. Rotaviruses with eight different electropherotypes were found in Bulgaria. The seasonal culmination of the rotavirus gastroenteritis in the winter months has been confirmed. Rotavirus antibodies were found in 73% of the sera from 152 children tested.
