title: Rotavirus gastro-enteritis in hospitalized children with acute diarrhoea in Zambia.
abstract: The clinical and epidemiological aspects of rotavirus diarrhoea were studied in hospitalized children with acute diarrhoea in Lusaka, Zambia. Two hundred and fifty-six (24.0%) of 1069 children admitted to the study were shedding rotavirus. The rotavirus-positive rate was highest in children less than 1 year of age (37.0%) and it was also high in those less than 6 months old. Rotavirus diarrhoea was seen throughout the year with a higher rotavirus-positive rate in the dry season. In rotavirus-positive diarrhoea patients, more children were dehydrated (82.4%) than in the rotavirus-negative group (56.2%). Rotavirus infection was more common in the children with normal nutritional status (27.6%, 162/588) than in those with malnutrition (19.3%, 93/482). The associated case fatality rate in the rotavirus-positive group was 6.4%, significantly less than in the rotavirus-negative group (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.24-0.79), and mortality cases were seen only in children less than 2 years old.
authors.affiliation: Virology Laboratory, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mpabalwani
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oshitani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kasolo
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizuta
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsubayashi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Numazaki
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003681:Dehydration / Q000821:virology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D012621:Seasons; D015024:Zambia / Q000453:epidemiology