Incidence of rotavirus in pediatric patients hospitalized with gastroenteric symptoms

In winter, for four months from November 1986 to February 1987, in one hundred samples of stool from children admitted at Pediatric Department of Prato Civil Hospital with gastroenteric symptoms, was performed the research of rotavirus. This study revealed data strictly close to the ones reported in literature: 34% of children were found positive; from these, 55.9% were under one year old, 38.2% from one to five, and 5.9% from five to twelve. The symptoms were: diarrhoea in 94%, fever in 70.5%, vomit in 47% and respiratory disturbances in 32%. It is emphasized the utility of the research of rotavirus chiefly in children under one year, even if gastroenteric disease begins with respiratory symptoms.