title: Prevalence of rotavirus diarrhea among hospitalized under-five children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of rotavirus diarrhea among hospitalized children less than 5 years of age in Kerala State and to determine the circulating strains of rotavirus in Kerala.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicenter, cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight representative hospitals in Kunnathunadu Thaluk, Ernakulam district, Kerala.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children in the age group under 5 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospitalized children admitted with acute diarrhea were examined and standardized case report form was used to collect demographic, clinical and health outcome. Stool specimens were collected and ELISA testing was done. ELISA rotavirus positive samples were tested by reverse transcription PCR for G and P typing (CMC Vellore).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 1827 children, 648 (35.9%) were positive for rotavirus by the Rotaclone ELISA test. The prevalence of rotavirus diarrhea in infants less than 6 months of age was 24.7%; 6- 11 months 31.9%; 12- 23 months 41.9%; 24- 35 months 46.9%; and 33.3% in 36- 59 months. Rotavirus infections were most common during the dry months from January through May. G1P[8] (49.7%) was the most common strain identified followed by G9P[8] (26.4%), G2P[4] (5.5%), G9P[4] (2.6%) and G12P[6] (1.3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of rotavirus diarrhea among hospitalized children less than 5 years is high in Ernakulam district, Kerala State.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Medical College Hospital, Kolenchery, Ernakulam District, Kerala; Department of Microbiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India and Division of Translational Research, International Vaccine Institute, Seoul, South Korea. Correspondence to: Dr MA Mathew, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Medical College Hospital, Kolenchery, Ernakulam District, Kerala 682 311, India. drmathew_11@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mathew
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paulose
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chitralekha
authors.forename: M K C
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: Gagandeep
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kilgore
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology