title: [Nosocomial gastroenteritis and asymptomatic rotavirus and astrovirus infection in hospitalized children].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nosocomial gastroenteritis is frequent in pediatric hospital wards. Between 20% and 50% of gastroenteritis cases caused by rotavirus and astrovirus are of nosocomial origin.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence of nosocomial rotavirus and astrovirus gastroenteritis in our environment, the incidence of asymptomatic infection with these viruses, and to identify the G serotypes of the rotaviruses detected.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a prospective study of all children under 2 years of age admitted to a neonatology unit over a 1-year period who were followed-up for the presence of diarrhea and periodic study of feces to detect the presence of rotavirus and astrovirus antigens by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Patients with gastroenteritis also underwent bacteria stool culture, adenovirus detection by EIA, calcivirus detection by polymerase chain reaction, and analysis of rotavirus G serotypes by EIA with monoclonal antibodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 666 children admitted without diarrhea, 60 presented nosocomial gastroenteritis (9 % of patients admitted and 1.75 per 100 days of hospital stay): 34 presented rotavirus (5 % of patients) and two presented astrovirus (0.3 % of patients). Of the 329 patients without diarrhea who were studied, viral elimination was detected in 27: rotavirus in 23 patients and astrovirus in four. Viral infection was detected on admission in 13 patients (4 %) and after 72 hours in 14 patients (4.2 %) (asymptomatic nosocomial infection). No differences in the distribution of rotavirus G serotypes were observed between community-acquired and nosocomial gastroenteritis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data confirm the importance of viral etiology in nosocomial gastroenteritis and allow us to evaluate asymptomatic fecal elimination of rotavirus as one of the factors in the transmission of this infection.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital Severo Ochoa, Madrid, Spain. eroman.hflr@salud.madrid.org
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Román Riechmann
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wilhelmi de Cal
authors.forename: Ma L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cilleruelo Pascual
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calvo Rey
authors.forename: Ma L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: García García
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Fauquier
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D019350:Astroviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012703:Serotyping