Epidemiological Profile and Burden of Rotavirus Diarrhea in Vietnam: 5 Years of Sentinel Hospital Surveillance, 1998–2003

Abstract

For 5 years, we have conducted sentinel surveillance for rotavirus at 6 hospitals in 4 cities in Vietnam. Stool samples obtained from >10,000 children <5 years old who were admitted to the hospital with diarrhea have been screened for rotavirus. Overall, 55% of samples were positive, and there was little variability in rates of detection of rotavirus between sites (44%-62%). In Vietnam, the characteristics of rotavirus infection more closely resemble those seen in developed countries, rather than those seen in developing countries: children become infected at an older age, the percentage of stool samples in which rotavirus is detected is extremely high, and the rotavirus strains appear to be the common types, with fewer mixed infections occurring. It is estimated that 5300-6800 children <5 years old die of rotavirus infection each year in Vietnam, representing 8%-11% of all deaths in this age group (cumulative risk per child by age 5 years, 1 in 200 to 1 in 285). Additional studies are ongoing to document the economic cost of the disease and to assess the burden of both fatal cases and milder cases of disease. Study outcomes will provide information for future testing and potential use of a rotavirus vaccine.

Prevalence and genetic diversity of rotavirus infection in children with acute gastroenteritis in a hospital setting, Nairobi Kenya in post vaccination era: a cross-sectional study

“…Genotype G2 was not identified and has not been documented for over 8 years in Kenya as documented by Kiulia et al [34]. The current study did not document any case of G1 genotype among vaccinated children although numerous molecular epidemiological studies have indicated that G1 is the most common circulating G type around the world [37, 49, 50]. Interestingly none of the specimens processed demonstrated genotype P [8].…”

A High Incidence of Intussusception Revealed by a Retrospective Hospital-Based Study in Nha Trang, Vietnam between 2009 and 2011

“…Additionally, another monovalent human rotavirus vaccine, Rotavin-M1, was manufactured in Vietnam and licensed in 2012. Rotavin-M1 promises to be effective in reducing the number of rotavirus diarrhea in Vietnam that accounted for more than 50% of diarrheal hospitalizations and 5,300–6,800 deaths in children less than 5 years of age annually [5]. However, recent studies conducted in Mexico and Brazil showed that there was an increased risk of intussusception associated with the use of rotavirus vaccines [6].…”

Production of Polyclonal Antibodies Against Recombinant Vp6 Antigen of Rotavirus

“…The report of surveillance showed that rotavirus infection explains for up to 55 -60 % of the hospitalized cases of diarrheal illness in infants and young children [1 -3]. Estimated by WHO, 20 % of deaths in children under 5 years old was due to rotavirus infection [3,4]. These factors make it necessary to develop a diagnostic system that permits the specific detection of rotavirus [5].…”