title: Rotavirus enteritis in solid organ transplant recipients: an underestimated problem?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diarrhea in solid organ transplantation can be a complication with a high morbidity and mortality. Rotavirus (RV) infection normally occurs in children up to 3 years of age and often presents with severe diarrhea; however, it can also affect adults. We investigated the prevalence and outcome of RV infections in both adult and pediatric patients after solid organ transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of RV-related enteritis in solid organ transplant recipients with a minimum of a 1-year follow-up from a single center between 2000 and 2004.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within our cohort of 1303 solid organ transplants, RV infection was observed in 19 patients (1.5%); 14 of these were liver recipients. Infection was most prevalent among pediatric liver recipients, with 52% (11/21) of the children affected. Five adults acquired the infection during their initial hospitalization. Two adult patients had to be readmitted following late-onset RV infection. In all cases, infection was self-limiting, but led to prolonged hospitalization because of significant loss of fluids and electrolytes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RV enteritis is a common infection in pediatric solid organ recipients but may also affect adult patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Transplant Surgery, Innsbruck University Hospital, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stelzmueller
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wiesmayr
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Swenson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biebl
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goegele
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Margreiter
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bonatti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001317:Austria; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015995:Prevalence; D012401:Rotavirus; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology