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Longitudinal study of rotavirus infection in child-care centres
M J Ferson1, S Stringfellow, K McPhie
1Public Health Unit, South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service, New South Wales, Australia.
Insights
Rotavirus infection is common in Sydney child-care centers, affecting 32% of children under three. Younger children, especially those under 12 months, were more susceptible to symptomatic and asymptomatic rotavirus.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Virology
- Public Health
Background:
- Rotavirus is a leading cause of gastroenteritis in young children globally.
- Child-care settings are known hotspots for infectious disease transmission.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the epidemiology of rotavirus infection in Sydney child-care centers during the 1994 season.
- To differentiate between symptomatic and asymptomatic rotavirus cases.
Main Methods:
- Weekly stool sample collection from 178 children aged 0-36 months over 2249 child-weeks.
- Commercial enzyme immunoassay used to detect rotavirus antigen in fecal specimens.
Main Results:
- Rotavirus antigen detected in 3.6% (59/1653) of specimens, peaking at 8.0% in week 6.
- Infection occurred in 32% of children across 8 centers; 52% of infants (<12 months) were infected versus 26% of older children.
- 82% of rotavirus episodes were symptomatic; secondary household spread was observed.
Conclusions:
- Rotavirus infection represents a significant public health issue for children under three attending Sydney child-care centers.
- Findings are likely generalizable to Australian children in similar group care settings.
Objective:
To describe the epidemiology of symptomatic and asymptomatic rotavirus infection among young children attending Sydney child-care centres during the 1994 rotavirus season.
Methods:
Children aged 0-36 months in 11 child-care centres participated in the study. A weekly stool specimen was collected from each subject and tested for rotavirus antigen by commercial enzyme immunoassay.
Results:
One hundred and seventy-eight children (76 girls and 102 boys) with a mean age of 18.2 +/- 6.5 (SD) months were enrolled for a total of 2249 child-weeks. Of 1653 weekly faecal specimens, 59 (3.6%) were positive for rotavirus antigen. Positivity for rotavirus antigen peaked at 8.0% and 7.4% of specimens in weeks 6 and 7, respectively. The 59 positive specimens were obtained from 44 children in eight of the 11 study centres. One child appeared to suffer a second episode. Eighty-two per cent of episodes were associated with symptoms of gastroenteritis. Overall, 32% of the children in the eight affected centres were infected; 52% of those < 12 months were infected compared to 26% of older children. Secondary spread to household contacts was also documented.
Conclusions:
Rotavirus infection poses a significant health problem in under-3-year-old children attending child-care centres in Sydney. We believe that these results are applicable to all Australian children of this age attending group child care.