Abstract
An unexpected drop in rotavirus (RV) detections was observed in the Netherlands in 2014, without RV vaccination. The estimated decrease in RV detections and gastroenteritis consultations in under five year-olds, in January-April 2014, compared to the same months in previous years, was 72% and 36%, respectively. The low birth rate, mild winter, high RV incidence in the previous year and the introduction of RV vaccination in neighbouring countries may have contributed to this decrease.
Highlights
RV is a leading cause of GE in infants and young children
The adjusted number of RV detections between August 2013 and July 2014 was 570 (a 58% drop). This RV epidemiological year registered by far the lowest number of RV detections in the entire time series
An elevated number of RV detections was observed in July 2014 compared to previous years (Table)
Summary
RV is a leading cause of GE in infants and young children. A number of European countries have recently implemented universal RV vaccination, including neighbours of the Netherlands (Belgium in 2006, UK (UK) and Germany in 2013) [1]. In the Netherlands, RV vaccination is not part of the national vaccination programme and a national recommendation for its use has not been issued so far. RV incidence in the Netherlands usually follows the typical seasonal pattern observed in temperate climates with an annual epidemic during winter months, peaking in February–March [2]. Up to 2014, RV was responsible for 3,300–4,800 hospitalisations annually in children under five years old, of which 85% occurred between January and April with the highest incidence in those aged between six months and two years [3,4]
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