Rotavirus infection in under-five children in Yekatit 12 hospital

Abstract

Abstract:

A prospective study was conducted to determine the prevalence of rotavirus infection and its seasonal pattern. A total of 358 infants and young children who had acute diarrhoea were studied at Yekatit 12 hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, between March 1992 and 1993. The virus was detected in 65( 18%) specimens collected from patients with acute diarrhoea teste.d by ELISA. The rate of rotavirus detection was higher among infants and children less than two years of age (21 %) than among older ones. The virus had two peaks, during the months of June and July(27%), when it is wet and warm with high relative humidity, and in November and December(37%) when the weather is dry and cool with low relative humidity. Our study has shown that, rotavirus could be detected throughout the year with seasonal trend and climatological relationship. However, studies extending over a longer period of time are necessary to establish the influence of seasonal and climatological factors on rotavirus infection in our setting.[Ethiop. J. Health Dev.1995;9(2):71-75]