title: [Epidemiology of rotavirus gastroenteritis among children under 5 years of age in Tunisia - results of sentinel hospital surveillance 2009 to 2011].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rotavirus is the major cause of severe acute gastroenteritis among young children. The objectives of this study were to assess the epidemiology, clinical and virological features of community-acquired rotavirus acute gastroenteritis, in children under 5 years of age, hospitalized in Tunisia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicenter prospective observational study was conducted from April 2009 to March 2011, in 11 sentinel pediatric departments. Clinical data and stool samples were collected for all children under 5 years, admitted for acute gastroenteritis. Rotavirus was detected by Elisa immunoassay test and genotyped for G and P by semi-nested multiplex RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 621 children were enrolled in this study. Rotavirus was detected in 30.3% of cases (95% CI [26.7-33.9]). The estimated incidence rate of rotavirus acute gastroenteritis was 11 cases/100,000 child-years (95% CI [9.43-12.57]). This infection affected predominantly children aged under 24 months, and occurred mainly in winter (55.3%). Vomiting, fever and dehydration were observed in 79.6%, 69.5% and 57% respectively. Genotype analysis identified four G types (G1, G2, G3 and G4) and 4 P types (P[4], P[6], P[8] and P[9]). The most common G/P combination was G3P[8] (24.4%), followed by G4P[8] (13.3%) and G1P[8] (6.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results highlight the frequency and potential severity of rotavirus acute gastroenteritis in pediatric hospital settings. The present study could provide a sufficient database to make a decision related to the introduction of rotavirus vaccine in Tunisian national immunization program.
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine préventive et d'épidémiologie, CHU Fattouma Bourguiba, 5000 Monastir, Tunisie. mohamed.soltani@rns.tn
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soltani
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bouanene
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trabelsi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harbi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hachicha
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amri
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boussnina
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Gueddiche
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Sfar
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Teleb
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ben Ghorbel
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ben Hamida
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D005838:Genotype; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000235:genetics*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology