Norovirus infections in children under 5 years of age hospitalized due to the acute viral gastroenteritis in northeastern Poland

Abstract

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and seasonality of norovirus infection in hospitalized Polish children under 5 years of age, and a secondary aim was to compare the clinical severity of norovirus and rotavirus disease. The prospective surveillance study was carried out from July 2009 through June 2010. Stool samples from 242 children hospitalized due to acute viral gastroenteritis were tested for rotavirus group A and adenovirus with commercial immunochromatographic test and for norovirus with EIA assay. Single norovirus infection was found in 35/242 (14.5%) patients and in a further 5 (2.1%) children as co-infection with rotavirus. Overall, norovirus was detected in 16.5% of stool specimens. Norovirus infections tended to peak from October to November and again from February to March. In autumn months and in February, the proportion of norovirus gastroenteritis cases was equal or even surpassed those of rotavirus origin. Both norovirus and rotavirus infections most commonly affected children between 12 and 23 months of age. The low-grade or no fever was significantly more common in children infected with norovirus (94.3%) compared to rotavirus cases (52.9%). Overall, norovirus gastroenteritis was less severe than rotavirus disease with regard to 20-point severity scale (p < 0.05). Noroviruses have emerged as a relevant cause of acute gastroenteritis in Polish children. There is a great need for introducing routine norovirus testing of hospitalized children with gastroenteritis.

Rotavirus and Norovirus infections among acute gastroenteritis children in Morocco

“…Approximately the same rate was reported (2.1%) in a Polish study [3], but our rate is lower than that reported in France by Tran et al [36]. As reported in the present study and the French study [36], there was no significant correlation between the severity of gastroenteritis and combined infections.…”

Conventional and molecular methods in the diagnosis of community-acquired diarrhoea in children under 5 years of age from the north-eastern region of Poland

“…The frequency of rotavirus infections in Poland varies from 20.4% to 48.9%, depending on the age and the season of the year, 6,19 and is similar to what is observed in other countries (18.7% -55%). 16,18,20 Although in our study rotaviruses can be responsible for ~1/3 cases of all hospitalizations for acute diarrhoea, it should be added that in 35% of Among the bacterial enteropathogens, toxigenic C. difficile strains were predominant agents in the studied population, found in 17% of the children with diarrhoea, regardless of previous antibiotic treatment.…”

“…An estimated catchment population accounts for approximately 8,200 children aged <5 years, representing about 50% of all children at this age in our region. 6 Acute diarrhea was defined as the passing of three or more loose or watery stools within a 24 h period and/or vomiting with or without fever. Inclusion criteria were as follows, age <5 years and written informed consent from the children's parents or legal guardians.…”

High prevalence and genetic diversity of noroviruses among children with sporadic acute gastroenteritis in Nanning City, China, 2010–2011

“…Acute gastroenteritis is a common disease, with high morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in children. Norovirus (NoV) is recognized as the second most important etiological agent of nonbacterial diarrhea in children after Rotavirus [Patel et al, ; Mans et al, ; Kaplan et al, ; Nataraju et al, ; Oldak et al, ; Zeng et al, ]. A systematic review of reported literatures by Patel et al [] showed that NoV accounted for 12% (95% confidence interval [CI] 10–15%) of sporadic gastroenteritis cases among children <5 years worldwide.…”