title: Hospital-based surveillance and molecular epidemiology of rotavirus infection in Taiwan, 2005-2007.
abstract: To determine the distribution of rotavirus strains and facilitate vaccine policy decisions in Taiwan, active hospital-based gastroenteritis surveillance was conducted in three sentinel hospitals. From 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2007, a total of 3435 children less than 5 years old with gastroenteritis were enrolled. The presence of rotavirus was documented by enzyme immunoassay (EIA), and the G and P genotypes were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequencing methods. Results confirmed that 856 (25%) of these gastroenteritis admissions were EIA-positive for rotavirus and 448 (52%) of the rotavirus positive admissions were less than 2 years old. The most prevalent rotavirus genotypes were G1P[8] (40%), followed by strains G3P[8] (27%), and G9P[8] (17%). These data will help inform decisions as to whether rotavirus vaccine should be considered for inclusion into Taiwan's National Immunisation Programme.
authors.affiliation: Research and Diagnostic Center, Centers for Disease Control, Department of Health, 161 Kunyang Street, Nan Kang District, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
authors.forename: F T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Tsao
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Eng
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D005838:Genotype; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000235:genetics; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012621:Seasons; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology