PREVALENCE OF ROTAVIRAL GASTROENTERITIS AMONG CHILDREN LESS THAN 2 YEARS WITH DIARRHOEAL DISEASES IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL.

Background: Acute Gastroenteritis (diarrhoeal disease) is the second most common cause of death among children below 5 years and it remains a major public health concern Aim: This study was done to study the prevalence rate of rotavirus infection in children upto two years presenting with diarrhoea. Materials and method: This study was conducted in our tertiary care hospital, Meenakshi Medical College & Research Institute (MMCH & RI), Kanchipuram, Tamilnadu. The study period was from September 2016 to December 2017. A total of 152 stool samples were collected from children less than 2 years with acute diarrhoea in paediatric department. Result and discussion:In our study, out of 152 stool samples tested, 40 were positive for rotavirus (26.3%). Among the positive patients 26 were male (65%) and 14 were female (35%). This is more common in children of age group between 6-18 months (87.5%). Conclusion: In our study, the burden of rotaviral associated diarrhoea in children under 2 years is 26.3% and male were commonly affected and prevalent among 6-18 months old children. Health education, regular surveillance and rotavirus vaccination will reduce deaths among children younger than five years.