Rotavirus hospitalisation in New Zealand children under 3 years of age.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the epidemiology of severe rotavirus gastroenteritis and to estimate the hospitalisation rates of this illness in New Zealand children under 3 years of age.


METHODS
Children under 3 years of age with acute diarrhoea admitted to 1 of 8 study hospitals between 1 May 1998 and 30 April 2000 were surveyed. Their socio-demographic, treatment and length-of-stay data were recorded and stool samples tested by a rotavirus-specific enzyme-linked immunoassay. National hospital discharge data for infectious diarrhoea (International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision, 003-009) were reviewed, allowing population-based estimates for rotavirus-related hospitalisation in New Zealand.


RESULTS
Of 2019 enrolled children, 1138 (56.4%) provided stools for testing, and of these 485 (42.6%) tested rotavirus positive. Rotavirus detection varied significantly by age (26.8% for 0 to 5 months, 42.5% for 6 to 11 months and 52.1% for children aged 12 to 35 months; P < 0.001), and by season (51.2% in winter/spring vs. 24.5% in summer/autumn; P < 0.001). While those infected with rotavirus were more likely to be dehydrated (50.6% vs. 37.4%; P < 0.001), their median hospital stay was similar (1.0 vs. 2.0 days; P = 0.09) to other children with acute gastroenteritis. The estimated national hospitalisation rate for rotavirus diarrhoea in children under 3 years, standardised for age and season, was 634 (95% CI 597, 672) per 100,000. In New Zealand, rotaviruses result in 1 in 52 children being hospitalised by 3 years of age.


CONCLUSIONS
Rotavirus diarrhoea is an important, potentially vaccine-preventable cause of hospitalisation in New Zealand children, especially during winter and spring seasons.
Grimwood
Keith
K
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, New Zealand. grimwood@wnmeds.ac.nz
Huang
Q Sue
QS
Cohet
Catheine
C
Gosling
Isobelle A
IA
Hook
Sarah M
SM
Teele
David W
DW
Pinnock
Ralph E
RE
Nicholson
William R
WR
Graham
David A
DA
Farrell
Alan P
AP
Leadbitter
Philip
P
Lennon
Diana R
DR
D017677:Age Distribution; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012621:Seasons; D017678:Sex Distribution
D000914:Antibodies, Viral