Prevalence and characteristics of rotavirus acute gastroenteritis among under-five children in ahmadu bello university teaching hospital, Zaria, Nigeria.

Abstract

Rotavirus infection is a significant cause of gastroenteritis in developing countries and, in severe cases even leads to death. The impact of rotavirus vaccine introduction in reducing the rotavirus disease burden in children was well known. The study was aimed to determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of rotavirus gastroenteritis before the introduction of rotavirus vaccine into Nigeria's routine immunization program. We conducted a cross-sectional hospital-based study involving 735 children aged 0-59 months with acute gastroenteritis hospitalized at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria from September 2017 to August 2020. Relevant sociodemographic and clinical data were obtained and entered into the World Health Organization standardized case investigation forms. Stool specimens were tested for rotavirus Group A antigen using the ProSpecT™ Rotavirus Microplate Assay by Thermoscientific Oxoid Microbiology UK. One hundred and fifty-three stool samples tested positive for rotavirus giving a prevalence of 20.8%. One hundred and two (66.7%) children with rotavirus gastroenteritis were infants. There were 87 males and 66 females with M: F ratio of 1.3:1. Only 30 (19.6%) children with rotavirus-associated diarrhea presented with severe dehydration. The presence of vomiting was significantly associated with rotavirus diarrhea (P = 0.001). More cases of rotavirus diarrhea occurred in September through February. None of the studied children were vaccinated against rotavirus. The prevalence of rotavirus diarrhea remains high in this study. Infants were recognized as a high-risk group, and none of them were vaccinated against rotavirus and this underscores the urgent need for implementing the rotavirus vaccine in the national vaccination program to reduce the disease burden in the country.