Retrospective Evaluation of the Incidence of Acute Gastroenteritis and Rotavirus Gastroenteritis in Italy

Abstract

Introduction Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in childhood. Among all the causative agents of AGE, rotavirus (RV) is the most common pathogen. The aim of this study is to estimate the incidence by age group of rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) in children Materials and Methods This was an observational, retrospective, cohort study using the Pedianet database that included all children aged ˂12 years with a diagnosis of AGE or acute diarrhea, and registered on the network during the period from January 2002 to December 2008. Since development of the model was specifically based on data collected during the Rotavirus gastroenteritis Epidemiology and Viral types in Europe Accounting for Losses in Public Health and Society Study (REVEAL study), RVGE estimation was restricted to children aged Results A total of 128,154 children Conclusions The Pedianet database was found to be a useful instrument for collecting information about the number and main features of AGE episodes at the primary care level in Italy. The statistical model presented in this study has proved reliable to predict RV-positive cases. Epidemiological results showed a consistent RVGE incidence from year to year in children less than 5 years old at the primary care level and underlined the persistent contribution of RV infections to the winter workload of Italian FPs.