title: Comparison of clinical characteristics between astrovirus and rotavirus infections diagnosed in 1997 to 2002 in Hungary.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the severity and clinical characteristics of human astrovirus (HAstV) infections among hospitalized children and compare them with children infected by rotavirus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, case-control study of astrovirus-infected and rotavirus-infected children. Astroviruses were detected in stool samples by enzyme immunoassay and/or reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. All stool samples were tested for rotavirus and bacterial pathogens, and all negative samples were further tested for human astrovirus. Children with astrovirus-positive stool samples and complete clinical data were included in this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Astrovirus was detected in 29 (1.8%) children, and 63 rotavirus-infected children were included as controls. Astrovirus-infected children had shorter duration of diarrhea than rotavirus-infected children (median 4 and 6 d, respectively; p<0.05), and 79% of the astrovirus infections were associated with a short duration of vomiting (median 1 and 4 d, respectively; p<0.0001). Rotavirus-infected children had longer hospitalization (p<0.050) than astrovirus-infected children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HAstV-infected children had similar symptoms to those occurring in rotavirus infection. However, astrovirus-infected patients had a significantly shorter duration of diarrhea and vomiting, and they required a shorter hospitalization. On the basis of the clinical data and severity scores, children with rotavirus infection had more severe illness.
authors.affiliation: Regional Laboratory of Virology, Baranya County Institute of State Public Health Service, Pécs, Hungary. jakabf@baranya.antsz.hu
authors.forename: Ferenc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jakab
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Péterfai
authors.forename: Edina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meleg
authors.forename: Krisztián
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bányai
authors.forename: Douglas K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: György
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szucs
mesh_terms: D019350:Astroviridae Infections / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000503:physiopathology; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007902:Length of Stay; D001257:Mamastrovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000503:physiopathology*