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Updated: Jun 23, 2026
Assays for the Specific Growth Rate and Cell-binding Ability of Rotavirus
Published on: January 28, 2019
Measuring the Impact of Rotavirus Acute Gastroenteritis Episodes (MIRAGE): A prospective community-based study
Martin Sénécal1, Marc Brisson, Marc H Lebel
1Merck Frosst Canada Ltd, Montreal, Quebec.
Insights
Rotavirus (RV) gastroenteritis in Canadian children is more severe, leading to higher hospitalization rates and parental work loss compared to other causes. Understanding this burden is crucial for evaluating rotavirus immunization benefits.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Rotavirus (RV) gastroenteritis poses a significant public health challenge.
- Accurate assessments are vital for evaluating the impact of RV immunization programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the burden of rotavirus gastroenteritis in young children presenting to outpatient clinics.
- To characterize RV gastroenteritis symptoms, healthcare utilization, and associated parental work loss.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study followed 395 children under three years old with gastroenteritis symptoms for two weeks.
- Stool samples were tested for RV antigen; symptoms and healthcare use were recorded via questionnaires and daily cards.
Main Results:
- Rotavirus was detected in 55.4% of children with conclusive results.
- RV-positive children experienced more severe symptoms, including concurrent fever and vomiting, and were more likely to be hospitalized (12.9% vs. 3.9%).
- RV gastroenteritis led to significantly higher parental work loss (53.8% vs. 37.3%) and a median illness duration of eight days.
Conclusions:
- Rotavirus gastroenteritis in children is associated with increased severity, hospitalization, and work loss.
- These findings underscore the substantial burden of RV gastroenteritis in outpatient settings.
Background:
Current assessments of the burden of rotavirus (RV)-related gastroenteritis are needed to evaluate the potential benefits of RV immunization interventions. The objective of the present study was to characterize the burden of RV gastroenteritis among children presenting in outpatient settings with gastroenteritis.
Methods:
Between January and June 2005, 395 children younger than three years of age presenting with gastroenteritis symptoms (at least three watery or looser-than-normal stools, or forceful vomiting within the previous 24 h period) were recruited from 59 Canadian clinics and followed for two weeks. Stool specimens were tested for the RV antigen. Gastroenteritis-related symptoms, health care utilization, parental work loss and other cases of gastroenteritis in the household were assessed by questionnaires and daily symptom cards that were completed by caregivers.
Results:
Of 336 conclusive test results, 55.4% were RV positive (RV+). In addition to diarrhea, 67.2% and 89.3% of RV+ children experienced fever or vomiting, respectively. Compared with RV-negative (RV-) children, RV+ children were more likely to experience the three symptoms concurrently (57.0% versus 26.7%; P<0.001), to be hospitalized (12.9% versus 3.9%; P=0.008) and to induce parental work loss (53.8% versus 37.3%; P=0.003). The median duration of gastroenteritis was eight days for RV+ children (nine days for RV- children). Additional cases of gastroenteritis were present in 46.8% of households in the RV+ group (51.3% of households in the RV- group).
Conclusions:
RV gastroenteritis cases were more severe than other gastroenteritis cases, were hospitalized more often and were associated with considerably more work loss.
