Epidemiology of rotavirus in Guayaquil, Ecuador

Detection of rotavirus by electron microscopy was conducted with fecal specimens from 1,722 infants and young children with acute diarrhea, during a 41-month survey from April 1978 through December 1981 in Guayaquil, Ecuador; 376 of these specimens (21.8%) were positive. The detection rate was higher during the dry season (May to November; 25.2%) than during the rainy season (December to April; 14.7%). When rotaviruses isolated from 59 patients hospitalized with diarrhea (from April 1979 to July 1981) were subjected to genome RNA analysis by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, a single dominant electropherotype was found with other less common electropherotypes. An atypical rotavirus with a unique property was also found.