[Molecular epidemiology of rotavirus among children under 5 years old hospitalized for diarrhea in China]
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Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Assays for the Specific Growth Rate and Cell-binding Ability of Rotavirus
Published on: January 28, 2019
Su-Hu Yang1, Hong Wang, Na Liu
1Department for Epidemiology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Insights
Rotavirus diarrhea is a significant infectious disease in Chinese children under five. The study highlights the importance of rotavirus vaccines for prevention and reducing healthcare costs in China.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Context:
- Rotavirus is a leading cause of severe diarrheal disease in infants and young children globally.
- Understanding the molecular epidemiology of rotavirus is crucial for developing effective control strategies.
Purpose:
- To investigate the molecular epidemiology of rotavirus infections in children under five years of age in China.
- To characterize rotavirus strains prevalent in Chinese children.
Summary:
- This study analyzed 4047 stool samples from children under five with diarrhea in China between 2006 and 2007.
- Rotavirus was detected in 44.0% of samples, with a peak incidence from November to January.
- The most common strains identified were P[8]G3 (58.3%) and P[8]G1 (22.1%).
Impact:
- Rotavirus diarrhea poses a significant public health burden in China.
- The findings underscore the need for safe and effective rotavirus vaccines to prevent disease and reduce treatment expenses.
Objective:
To study molecular epidemiology of Rotavirus among children under 5 years of age in china.
Methods:
Stool specimens were collected from 4047 inpatients under 5 years of age with diarrhea in our 9 hospital-based surveillance sites from January 2006 to December 2007 following the WHO Rotavirus surveillance protocol. Rotavirus were detected by ELISA, Further strain characterization of rotavirus was carried out with RT-PCR.
Results:
A total of 4047 stool samples were collected and 3862 of total stools were tested among which 1700 was positive. The Rotavirus positive rate is 44.0%. A peak admission of rotavirus diarrhea was observed from November to next January. More than 95.4% of viral diarrhea patients occurred in their first 2 years. The incidence rates of rotavirus diarrhea were highest in 12-17 months of age. The most common rotavirus strain was P[8]G3(58.3%); followed by P[8] G1(22.1%), P[4]G1 (3.0%), P[8]G9 (2.4%). G4 was not detected in this study. The four common strains were 80.8% in the world.
Conclusion:
Rotavirus diarrhea was an important infectious disease among children under 5 years of age in China. Safe and effective rotavirus vaccines for the prevention of rotavirus diarrhea and reduction of treatment costs are of significant importance to China.
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