Four hundred and forty-two samples from children, age 0-5 years old, with acute diarrhoea attending hospitals and clinics in Jos between May 1986 to April 1987 were examined for the presence of rotavirus by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. One hundred and forty-six of these samples were positive, giving a prevalence rate of 33 per cent. The virus was more prevalent in infants 0-6 months old and decreased with an increase in age. Rotavirus was found to occur throughout the year, but there was a much higher prevalence of the virus during the dry season (59 per cent) than in the rainy season (21 per cent) with relative humidity being the most influential climatic factor for this variation. Male children and breast-fed children were more predisposed to infection with rotavirus than their counterparts.

Stool samples from 392 infants and young children attending various clinics in Zaria, Northern Nigeria from June 1986 to May 1987 were analysed by ELISA for the presence of rotaviruses. There was a prevalence of 27 per cent in these children with the virus being most prevalent in the first 6 months of life. This decreased with age until it was less than 10 per cent in children 3-5 years old. Although rotavirus was found to be present throughout the year; there was a much higher prevalence during the dry season (October to April) as compared to the wet season. Infection with the virus correlated inversely with relative humidity, vapour pressure and minimum temperature showing considerable influence of these climatic factors on rotavirus infection in children in Zaria.

No abstract