Abstract
Bacterial, viral and parasitic agents have been implicated and confirmed as causative agents of gastroenteritis in children with ages below 5 years old. The major role of rotavirus as causative agent is not widely recognized within the public health community, particularly in developing countries. This study examined the role of rotavirus as a causative agent of childhood gastroenteritis in infants and young children below 5 years of age in a General Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. Parents and caregivers of children admitted to the hospital were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Viral RNA was extracted from the stool samples collected and analyzed using RT-PCR for genotyping and agarose gel electrophoresis for identification of rotavirus electrophoretypes. Out of the 71 samples analyzed, 16 (22.5%) were positive for rotavirus. A total of 12 (75%) males and 4 (25%) females were positive for rotavirus gastroenteritis with most cases (7, 43.8%) distributed to the 13-24 months age group, followed closely by the 1-6 months age group, with 6 cases, 37.5%. Rotavirus G2 genotype was the most prevalent strain in the hospital (10 patients, 62.5%) followed by G1 (6 patients, 37.5%). These were the only rotavirus genotypes detected in the hospital.
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