Rotavirus gastroenteritis in Latin America: A hospital-based study in children under 3 years of age

Abstract Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrheal disease and dehydration in infants in both developed and developing countries. Vaccines have recently been developed, but detailed epidemiological information, which is needed for decisions about how and where to introduce vaccination, was lacking for many Latin American countries. The primary objective of this study was to measure the incidence and disease burden of rotavirus in young children presenting to Latin American hospitals with gastroenteritis. In addition it allowed to setting up the methodology to further conduct a large phase III trial with a rotavirus vaccine in the region. This was a prospective, multi-center surveillance study of gastroenteritis in children