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Rotavirus Vaccine & Acute Gastroenteritis in Children
J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc; ePub 2018 Sep 3; Hassan, et al
Norovirus, sapovirus, and rotavirus were detected significantly more in children with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) compared with healthy controls (HCs), with norovirus the leading AGE-causing pathogen in US children aged <2 years during 2012. This according to recent study that sought to determine the viral etiology of AGE in US children aged <2 years in the post-rotavirus vaccine era. Stool samples were collected from 330 children aged <2 years with symptoms of AGE and 272 age-matched HCs between January and December 2012. Among the findings:
- Detection rates of pathogens in children with AGE vs HCs were 23.0% vs 6.6% for norovirus, 23.0% vs 16.0% for adenovirus, 11.0% vs 16.0% for parechovirus, 11.0% vs 9.0% for enterovirus, 7.0% vs 3.0% for sapovirus, 3.0% vs 0.3% for astrovirus, and 3.0% vs 0.4% for rotavirus, respectively.
- The norovirus was the leading AGE-causing pathogen in the study group.
- Codetection of >1 virus was more common in children with AGE (16%) than in HCs (10.0%).
Hassan F, Kanwar N, Harrison CJ, et al. Viral etiology of acute gastroenteritis in <2-year-old US children in the post–rotavirus vaccine era. [Published online ahead of print September 3, 2018]. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. doi:10.1093/jpids/piy077.
The rotavirus vaccination program has been very successful in decreasing morbidity in the US. This study reflects this decrease in prevalence. In a country where IV hydration is readily available, this vaccine mostly prevents morbidity. But remember that there are 1.3 million deaths worldwide from gastroenteritis and the impact of this vaccine worldwide could save many lives. — John Russell, MD