title: Rotavirus gastroenteritis in Norway: analysis of prospective surveillance and hospital registry data.
abstract: We aimed to evaluate rotavirus morbidity and describe rotavirus epidemiology in hospitalized children in Norway to provide information before the introduction of new rotavirus vaccines. We retrospectively reviewed 14,973 gastroenteritis hospitalizations in children aged <5 y for the period 1995 to 2004, and prospectively surveyed for rotavirus in 311 children aged <5 y admitted with diarrhoea to 3 hospitals in 2006-2008. The proportion of rotavirus among all gastroenteritis hospitalizations was estimated at 14.5% from the retrospective data and at 62.9% in the prospective data. The annual incidence of rotavirus hospitalizations is estimated to be 3 per 1000 children <5 y of age, corresponding to approximately 900 (range 735-1092) hospitalizations each year. Children aged 6-23 months accounted for 61% of all confirmed rotavirus cases, and average duration of hospital stay for rotavirus cases was 1.3 days. We observed a predominance of rotavirus infections from March through May, similar to the seasonality of diarrhoea-associated hospitalizations with viral and unspecified aetiology. No rotavirus-associated deaths were reported. It is estimated that two thirds of all gastroenteritis hospitalizations in children <5 y of age may be attributable to rotavirus in Norway. Continued surveillance and further studies are needed to assess the full burden of rotavirus disease and its economic impact in Norway.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Disease Control, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway. elmira.flem@fhi.no
authors.forename: Elmira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Flem
authors.forename: Kirsti
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vainio
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Døllner
authors.forename: Cathrine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Midgaard
authors.forename: Franziskus Johannes
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Bosse
authors.forename: Anne-Gro Wesenberg
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Rognlien
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rojahn
authors.forename: Svein A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Nordbo
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Størvold
authors.forename: Gro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Njølstad
authors.forename: Karl-Olaf
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Wathne
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Konsmo
authors.forename: Preben
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aavitsland
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*