title: Report of the Australian Rotavirus Surveillance Program 2003-2004.
abstract: The National Rotavirus Reference Centre together with collaborating laboratories Australia-wide has conducted rotavirus surveillance since June 1999. This report describes the serotypes of rotavirus strains responsible for the hospitalisation of children with acute gastroenteritis during the period 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004. We examined 688 faecal samples using monoclonal antibody immunoassays, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and polyacrylamide gel analysis. This revealed that serotype G1 has re-emerged as the major serotype nationally, representing 40 per cent of all strains, followed by serotype G3 (25.7%) serotype G2 (17.1%) and serotype G9 (11.7%). However, there is substantial geographic variation in the prevalence of rotavirus serotypes. These findings have implications for vaccine development strategies which have targeted prevention of disease due to serotypes G1-G4.
authors.affiliation: National Rotavirus Reference Centre, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria.
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kirkwood
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bogdanovic-Sakran
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.forename: Graeme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barnes
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012703:Serotyping; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015996:Survival Rate; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology