Gastroenteritis in Haryana, India Post Introduction of Rotavirus Vaccine

To evaluate the epidemiology of rotavirus gastroenteritis in Haryana post-introduction of rotavirus vaccine. Expanded National rotavirus surveillance network in India reported high burden of rotavirus diarrhea in India. The Government of India introduced the monovalent rotavirus vaccine made in India by Bharat Biotech in the national immunization programme from 2016 onward along with oral polio vaccine (OPV) and Pentavalent vaccines.

A multi-centric, hospital-based surveillance study in the initial vaccine introducing states was started in a phased manner over a period of 3 y. PGIMS, Rohtak is a tertiary care center and was a part of the surveillance from 2016 to 2019. Children aged 0-59 mo admitted with acute gastroenteritis were enrolled into the surveillance and their stool samples were collected. Samples were tested at Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore to detect rotavirus and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used for G and P typing.

A total of 904 children were enrolled in the present surveillance over a period of 3 y starting 1st July 2016 to 30th June 2019. Stool samples were collected and analyzed for 827 children and out of them 141 samples were positive for rotavirus (17.1%). Maximum rotavirus positivity was observed during the winter months. Rotavirus positivity percentage was observed maximum in 12-23 mo age group. A declining trend was observed in rotavirus positivity from 22.8% in 2016 to 14.5% in 2019. Most common strains of rotavirus isolated were G3P[8] followed by G1P[8].

This study highlights that epidemiology of acute gastroenteritis among children less than 5 y of age in Haryana postintroduction of rotavirus vaccination in the state and the decline in rotavirus positivity from 22.8% in 2016 to 14.5% in 2019.