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Asymptomatic rotavirus infection in Nigerian day-care centres
Insights
Rotavirus was found in 17.2% of children in Nigerian day-care centers. This highlights the need for improved hygiene, surveillance, and a low-cost rotavirus vaccine, especially in developing nations.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Diarrheal diseases remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries.
- Asymptomatic rotavirus infections in young children can contribute to community transmission.
- Day-care centers represent potential hubs for infectious disease spread among children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of rotavirus in asymptomatic children attending day-care centers in Benin City, Nigeria.
- To assess the potential role of day-care settings in rotavirus transmission.
- To inform public health strategies for rotavirus control.
Main Methods:
- Collection of 116 stool specimens from children aged 6-48 months in five day-care centers.
- Utilizing the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for rotavirus detection.
- Analyzing prevalence data based on age, sex, and day-care center.
Main Results:
- Rotavirus was detected in 17.2% of the children's stool specimens.
- No rotavirus was found in the youngest age group (6-12 months).
- Asymptomatic rotavirus excretion was observed across all sampled day-care centers, with a slightly higher incidence in girls (19.1%) than boys (15.9%).
Conclusions:
- Day-care centers in Benin City harbor rotavirus, indicating a need for enhanced hygiene and surveillance.
- The findings underscore the importance of developing and implementing affordable rotavirus vaccines for children in day-care settings, particularly in regions with high diarrheal disease burden.
- Public health interventions should focus on improving sanitation in childcare facilities and promoting vaccination to reduce rotavirus-related illnesses.
Abstract:
One hundred and sixteen stool specimens were collected from five day-care centres in Benin City, Nigeria, one each from children aged 6-48 months who were free from diarrhoea or any other acute illness. The ELISA method showed that 17.2% of the children had rotavirus in their stools. No rotavirus could be detected in the 19 children aged 6-12 months. The incidence of asymptomatic excretors in girls (19.1%) was slightly higher than in boys (15.9%), although this difference was not significant. Rotavirus was detected in children in all the day-care centres. This finding emphasizes the importance of better control of the proliferation of day-care centres and of surveillance of existing ones to enhance the provision of basic hygienic conditions. It also stresses the need for the development of a vaccine against rotavirus and for its availability at low cost for vaccination of children in day-care centres, especially in developing countries where diarrhoea still leads to high morbidity and mortality.