Rotavirus and acute diarrhoeal disease in children in a southern Indian coastal town.
Rotavirus was found by electron microscopy in the stools of 70.7% of a representative sample (368) of the 3355 children with acute diarrhoea admitted to hospital over a period of 16 months in Calicut on the west coast of India. The prevalence of the virus was high (nearly 100% of cases examined) in the period from November to January and lowest in May just before the onset of the monsoon. Prevalence was high (75.1%) in infants aged from 6 to 23 months, but was considerably lower in those under 6 months of age (34.8%). The management of cases and the planning of control measures for this disease are discussed in the light of knowledge of the high prevalence of rotavirus.
D000208:Acute Disease; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000382:microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012087:Reoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*