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Rotavirus hospitalisation in New Zealand children under 3 years of age
Author(s) -
Grimwood Keith,
Huang Q Sue,
Cohet Catheine,
Gosling Isobelle A,
Hook Sarah M,
Teele David W,
Pinnock Ralph E,
Nicholson William R,
Graham David A,
Farrell Alan P,
Leadbitter Philip,
Len Diana R
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1754.2006.00829.x
Subject(s) - medicine , rotavirus , epidemiology , pediatrics , acute gastroenteritis , rotavirus gastroenteritis , population , diarrhea , rotavirus infections , rotavirus vaccine , reoviridae , environmental health
Objective: To describe the epidemiology of severe rotavirus gastroenteritis and to estimate the hospitalisation rates of this illness in New Zealand children under 3 years of age. Methods: Children under 3 years of age with acute diarrhoea admitted to 1 of 8 study hospitals between 1 May 1998 and 30 April 2000 were surveyed. Their socio‐demographic, treatment and length‐of‐stay data were recorded and stool samples tested by a rotavirus‐specific enzyme‐linked immunoassay. National hospital discharge data for infectious diarrhoea ( International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision , 003–009) were reviewed, allowing population‐based estimates for rotavirus‐related hospitalisation in New Zealand. Results: Of 2019 enrolled children, 1138 (56.4%) provided stools for testing, and of these 485 (42.6%) tested rotavirus positive. Rotavirus detection varied significantly by age (26.8% for 0 to 5 months, 42.5% for 6 to 11 months and 52.1% for children aged 12 to 35 months; P < 0.001), and by season (51.2% in winter/spring vs. 24.5% in summer/autumn; P < 0.001). While those infected with rotavirus were more likely to be dehydrated (50.6% vs. 37.4%; P < 0.001), their median hospital stay was similar (1.0 vs. 2.0 days; P = 0.09) to other children with acute gastroenteritis. The estimated national hospitalisation rate for rotavirus diarrhoea in children under 3 years, standardised for age and season, was 634 (95% CI 597, 672) per 100 000. In New Zealand, rotaviruses result in 1 in 52 children being hospitalised by 3 years of age. Conclusions: Rotavirus diarrhoea is an important, potentially vaccine‐preventable cause of hospitalisation in New Zealand children, especially during winter and spring seasons.