Rotavirus Diarrhea Surveillance and its Molecular Characteristics in Ranchi, Jharkhand, 2019-2023

To estimate the burden of rotavirus infection, identify factors associated with acute rotavirus gastroenteritis, and characterize circulating rotavirus genotypes in children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis.

In this observational study of children aged under 5 y hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis in four tertiary care hospitals in Ranchi, Jharkhand between 2019 and 2023, stool samples were obtained and tested for rotavirus using an enzyme immunoassay. Rotavirus-positive samples were genotyped using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Of the 470 stool samples tested, 39.4% were positive for rotavirus, with a higher incidence during the winter months (December to March). The likelihood of rotavirus-positivity was significantly lower in the 0-5 mo age group (odds ratio [OR]: 0.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.14-0.54; p < 0.001) and in children with diarrhea duration ≥ 5 d (OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.17-0.96; p = 0.041), and was significantly higher in children with vomiting (OR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.44-4.26; p < 0.001). The most prevalent genotypes were G2P[4] (35.9%), G1P[8] (30.9%), and G3P[8] (20.4%).

The rotavirus positivity rate in Ranchi was higher than that reported in other sites in India, particularly among children in the 12-23-mo age group. The dominant genotypes were G2P[4], G1P[8], and G3P[8]. Changes in the genotypic distribution during the study period indicate that ongoing genotypic surveillance is warranted in children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis.