Prevalence and Clinical Profile of Rotavirus Infection in Patients Aged 1 Month to 5 Years

Background: Rotavirus is one of the most common causes of acute gastroenteritis in children under five years and below in lower and middle-income countries, especially in developing countries, despite the existence of vaccines.The study aimed to identify the proportion and characteristics of Rotavirus infection in children with acute gastroenteritis.Methods: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of Rotavirus infection in children aged 1 month to 5 years with gastrointestinal symptoms.Stool samples were collected from 123 children and tested for Rotavirus using an Enzyme immunoassay.Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were recorded on a proforma.Inclusion criteria included acute gastroenteritis with diarrhea, while children with blood in stools or dysentery were excluded.Data was analyzed to explore Rotavirus infection's clinical and laboratory findings.Results: The results showed that Rotavirus was present in 23.57% of patients with acute gastroenteritis.However, the highest percentage was noted in the age group of 6-24 months.The symptoms observed were mainly watery diarrhoea (86.2% cases), dehydration (82.7%), vomiting (51.7%) and fever (34.4%).Overall, more than half of the patients needed inpatient care, and severe dehydration was reported in 20.68% of the cases. Conclusion:The study concluded that the prevalence of rotavirus infection among 1 month to 5 years of children is 23.57% and the highest infection rate was found to be in the 6-24-month age group -induced hematological alterations, thus it might be used as a dietary protective natural remedy during the chemotherapy.