Sentinel hospital surveillance for rotavirus diarrhea in Taiwan, 2001-2003.
We examined the epidemiological profile of rotavirus infection among children hospitalized for diarrhea in Taiwan, to assess the burden of this disease. From 1 April 2001 through 31 March 2003, children <5 years old with gastroenteritis admitted to 4 sentinel hospitals were enrolled in a surveillance study and had stool specimens tested for the presence of rotavirus, enteric adenovirus, and the bacterial pathogens for which routine screening is performed. For 52% of patients, a recognized enteric pathogen was identified, including rotavirus (43% of patients), bacteria (11%), enteric adenovirus (2.5%), and a mixture of pathogens (3.9%). Rotavirus was detected year-round, but great month-to-month variability made it difficult to identify a distinct seasonal pattern. Rotavirus disease was most common among children 7-23 months old, but the rate of rotavirus detection varied little between the youngest and oldest age groups. The novel strain P[8]G9 was detected most commonly (37% of strains), followed by strains P[8]G1 (31%), P[4]G2 (10%), P[8]G3 (9.3%), and P[8]G4 (3.7%). Rotavirus infection is the most important cause of diarrhea among hospitalized children in Taiwan, and a rotavirus vaccination program for young children might significantly reduce this problem.
Chen
Kow-Tong
KT
Field Epidemiology Training Program, Center for Disease Control, Department of Health, Taipei, Taiwan. ktchen@mail.ncku.edu.tw
Chen
Po-Yen
PY
Tang
Ren-Bin
RB
Huang
Yung-Feng
YF
Lee
Ping-Ing
PI
Yang
Jyh-Yuan
JY
Chen
Hour-Young
HY
Bresee
Joseph
J
Hummelman
Erik
E
Glass
Roger
R
D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology