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Recent viral pathogen in acute gastroenteritis: a retrospective study at a tertiary hospital for 1 year
Hye Il Jin1, Yoo Mi Lee1, You Jin Choi1
1Department of Pediatrics, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea.
Insights
Norovirus is now the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis in children, replacing rotavirus due to vaccination. This study tracked viral trends and seasonality to improve prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Virology
Background:
- Viral gastroenteritis is a common childhood illness.
- Rotavirus was historically the primary cause in children.
- Socioeconomic factors and vaccination programs influence viral prevalence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine season-specific trends of viral gastroenteritis in children.
- To assess the impact of rotavirus vaccination on viral pathogen prevalence.
- To inform prophylaxis and surveillance strategies in the region.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 345 pediatric patients with gastroenteric symptoms (June 2014 - May 2015).
- Simultaneous testing for norovirus, rotavirus, astrovirus, and adenovirus using multiplex RT-PCR.
- Analysis of clinical characteristics and age-specific prevalence.
Main Results:
- Norovirus was the most prevalent virus, followed by rotavirus, adenovirus, and astrovirus.
- 45.2% of infections occurred in children aged 6-24 months; norovirus was common in all ages except infants (<6 months), where rotavirus predominated.
- Distinct seasonal patterns were observed: norovirus (Dec-Feb), rotavirus (Feb-Apr), and adenovirus (Jul-Oct).
Conclusions:
- The leading cause of pediatric viral gastroenteritis has shifted from rotavirus to norovirus, likely due to rotavirus vaccination.
- Recommendations include age and season-specific hygiene management and active vaccination.
- Understanding viral epidemiology is crucial for effective public health interventions.
Purpose:
Viral gastroenteritis among children is mainly caused by rotavirus, norovirus, astrovirus, or adenovirus strains. However, changing socioeconomic conditions and a rotavirus vaccination program may be affecting the prevalence of these viral infections. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the season-specific trends in viral infections for facilitating prophylaxis and surveillance in our region.
Methods:
We evaluated 345 pediatric patients (203 males, 142 females; age, 1 month to 16 years) who visited the CHA Bundang Medical Center because of gastroenteric symptoms between June 2014 and May 2015. The specimens were simultaneously tested for norovirus, rotavirus, astrovirus, and adenovirus via multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Clinical characteristics of patients were analyzed retrospectively.
Results:
The most common virus was norovirus, followed by rotavirus, adenovirus, and astrovirus. Of all viral infections, 45.2% occurred mainly between 6 and 24 months of age; in particular, norovirus infection mostly occurred in all age groups except those below 6 months of age, when rotavirus was most prevalent. In addition, seasonal variation was observed, such as norovirus infection from December to February, rotavirus infection from February to April, and adenovirus infection from July to October.
Conclusion:
Our results showed that the most common cause of acute pediatric viral gastroenteritis had changed from rotavirus to norovirus in our patients, because of effective rotaviral vaccination. We recommend the management of food and personal hygiene in accordance with age or seasons as well as active vaccination for preventing viral gastroenteritis.
