Abstract
From January 1974 through July 1977, human rotavirus (HRV) was visualized by EM in the feces of 37.5% of 440 hospitalized gastroenteritis patients (since Jan. 1974), 22% of 150 outpatients with gastroenteritis (since Nov. 1975) and 2.5% of 366 controls. Most of the “controls” who yielded the agent had recent or concurrent diarrhea in addition to a respiratory tract illness. Most HRV infection occurred from Nov. through April and there seemed to be some variation from year to year. Especially striking HRV activity was seen in January 1976 when 86% of 43 inpatients with gastroenteritis had detectable HRV. The pattern suggests that there will be annual outbreaks in metropolitan Washington, D.C. which will tend to begin in the late fall, peak in Jan., and end in the spring. The frequency of HRV infection per illness was highest between 7 and 24 months of age and illness rapidly decreased in incidence with the increasing age. 81% of 89 HRV-infected black children and 41% of 76 HRV-infected white children were under 1 year of age. Additional studies of parents of children and of hospital personnel and other health workers suggest that HRV reinfection occurs in adults and that severe illness can occur but is less likely to do so in infected adults.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Brandt, C., Kim, H., Rodriguez, W. et al. 351 THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF HUMAN ROTAVIRUS INFECTION IN D.C. AREA THROUGH FOUR WINTERS. Pediatr Res 12 (Suppl 4), 422 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00356
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00356