[Data on the study of the epidemiology of rotavirus infection in Leningrad]

The results obtained in the study of rotavirus infection in Leningrad in 1984-1987 are presented. Enzyme immunoassay techniques were used for the examination of 4,715 children aged 0-14 years and 1,162 adults with diagnosed acute enteral infection of unknown etiology, as well as the control group of 556 of healthy children aged 0-6 years and 77 healthy adults. The rotavirus antigen was detected in 1.210 sick children (25.7%) and 133 sick adults (11.4%), as well as in 6 healthy children (1.1%), but not detected in healthy adults. The following epidemiological regularities of rotavirus infection were established: the highest sick rate among children aged 0-2 years and a low level of rotavirus carriership among healthy persons; the seasonal character of rotavirus infection, its outbreaks occurring in winter and the epidemic periods varying in their character and duration in different years; the prevailing role of rotaviruses in the development of winter rises of acute enteral infection of unknown etiology in the city among children aged 0-2 years. The problem of the respiratory syndrome in rotavirus diarrhea is discussed. The rotavirus antigen was detected in 39 out of 144 children (27%) with diagnosed acute respiratory virus diseases and in 4 out of 99 nasopharyngeal washings (4%) from diarrhea patients. Adenoviruses were shown to play an insignificant role in the etiology of diarrhea (10% of cases).