Indirect protection of adults from rotavirus by pediatric rotavirus vaccination.
BACKGROUND
Pediatric vaccination has resulted in declines in disease in unvaccinated individuals through decreasing pathogen circulation in the community. About 2 years after implementation of pediatric rotavirus vaccination in the United States, dramatic declines in rotavirus disease were observed in both vaccinated and unvaccinated children. Whether this protection extends to adults is unknown.


METHODS
The prevalence of rotavirus, as determined by Rotaclone enzyme immunoassay, in adults who had stools submitted for bacterial stool culture (BSC) between February to May to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, was compared between the prepediatric impact era (2006-2007) and the pediatric impact era (2008-2010). Isolates were genotyped and clinical characteristics of those with rotavirus were compared.


RESULTS
Of the 5788 BSC sent, 4725 met inclusion criteria and 3530 of these (74.7%) were saved for rotavirus testing. The prevalence of rotavirus among adults who had stool sent for BSC declined from 4.35% in 2006-2007 to 2.24% in 2008-2010 (a relative decline of 48.4%; P = .0007). The decline in the prevalence of rotavirus was of similar significant magnitude in both outpatients and inpatients. Marked year-to-year variability was observed in circulating rotavirus genotypes, with strain G2P[4] accounting for 24%; G1P[8], 22%; G3P[8], 11%; and G12P[6], 10% overall. About 30% of adults from whom rotavirus was isolated were immunocompromised and this remained constant.


CONCLUSIONS
Pediatric rotavirus vaccination correlated with a relative decline of almost 50% in rotavirus identified from adult BSC during the peak rotavirus season, suggesting that pediatric rotavirus vaccination protects adults from rotavirus.
Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Divisions of Infectious Diseases, Chicago, Illinois, USA. evanderson@emory.edu
Evan J
EJ
Anderson
Deanna B
DB
Shippee
Melissa H
MH
Weinrobe
Melissa D
MD
Davila
Ben Z
BZ
Katz
Susheel
S
Reddy
Mary Gene Karen P
MG
Cuyugan
Samuel Y
SY
Lee
Yael M
YM
Simons
Ram
R
Yogev
Gary A
GA
Noskin
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002641:Chicago / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
D012367:RNA, Viral; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines