title: Epidemiology and medical cost of hospitalization due to rotavirus gastroenteritis among children under 5 years of age in the central-east of Tunisia.
abstract: Data on the economic burden of rotavirus infection in Tunisia are needed to inform the decision to include rotavirus in routine childhood immunizations. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological profile of rotavirus disease in central-east Tunisia and to estimate its hospital cost. In the first stage - the prospective collection of epidemiological data - we enrolled all patients < 5 years old who were hospitalized for acute diarrhoea at 5 university paediatric departments in central-east Tunisia during the period 2009-2011. Rotavirus was responsible for 65 (23.3%) of the 279 cases enrolled. In the second stage, cost data were collected retrospectively using an activity-based costing method from the medical records of the children who were positively diagnosed with rotavirus. The average cost of care per child was TD 433 (SD 134). This is a significant economic burden in Tunisia, where a safe and effective vaccine is available but not yet introduced to the immunization schedule.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University Hospital of Monastir, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Soltani
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University Hospital of Monastir, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: A Ben
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Salah
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University Hospital of Monastir, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bouanene
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bacteriology-Virology, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trabelsi
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital of Mahdia, Mahdia, Tunisia.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Sfar
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital of Sahloul, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harbi
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Monastir, Tunisia, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Gueddiche
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Health Care, Ministry of Health, Ynis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: E Ben
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Farhat
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology