A study on prevalence and associated factors of rotavirus gastroenteritis in children in Western Uttar Pradesh

Rotavirus is recognized as a prime causative agent of acute gastroenteritis in children aged less than 5 years worldwide The aim of this study is to evaluate the frequency of a rotavirus diagnosis in hospitalized children aged less than 5 years suffering from diarrhoea, the efficacy of Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in diagnosing the infection, and assess the relationship between sociodemographic and clinical features associated with rotavirus diarrhea. The present study was conducted at Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College (JNMC), Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh from January 2021 to April 2022. Sociodemographic and clinical data of the patients were assessed. ELISA test was performed for the detection of rotavirus antigen in stool samples. Statistical analysis was performed using the Prism statistics version 08 software. All the differences were analysed using ANOVA statistical test and Pearson's chi-square (χ2). According to our results, a total of 382 stool samples were tested and rotavirus infection was detected in 194 (50.7%) samples. Children aged 1-11 months and 12-24 months comprised 56.7% and 18.5% of the total cases respectively. Rotavirus transmission takes place year-round but the infection was significantly higher during winters (n=84, 43.2%) and lower during spring (n=29, 14.9%). Males comprised the majority of positive results (n=127, 65.4%) compared to females (n=67, 34.5%), and were more prone to a positive result compared to females (62% versus 37% respectively). The commonest presenting symptoms were diarrhoea (100%), fever (97.4%), vomiting (92.7%) and severe dehydration (47.4%). In conclusion, rotavirus, a leading cause of gastroenteritis in young children worldwide, was a common cause of fever and diarrhea in our patient series. Although developments in healthcare system have augmented in controlling its prevalence, significant numbers of outbreaks and clusters continue to be recorded in India.