title: Epidemiology of rotavirus in a periurban Gambian community.
abstract: Short, well demarcated epidemics of rotavirus diarrhoea were observed during two consecutive cool, dry seasons in The Gambia. This seasonal pattern has now been documented for 4 consecutive years. During the 1985/86 epidemic, transmission was intense, with a clinical attack rate for infants of 36%. During this outbreak it was estimated that asymptomatic virus-shedding was two-thirds as common as symptomatic infection. Rotavirus diarrhoea was more severe than diarrhoea due to all other causes and clinical rotavirus infection was associated with weight loss in the post-infection period. Non-epidemic periods were characterized by very occasional mild cases and asymptomatic virus-shedding in neonates. There was a change in RNA electropherotypes from a predominantly long pattern in 1983/84 and 1984/85 to short patterns in 1985/86.
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005714:Gambia; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012621:Seasons; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral