Role of viruses in acute gastroenteritis

: In a two years screening carried out on Florentine children we confirmed that Rotaviruses are the most important ethiological agents of acute gastroenteritis in infants less than two years old, irrespective of sex. We had evidence that Rotavirus diarrhea does not occur with the same incidence every year. Rotavirus gastroenteritis is characterized by profuse diarrhea, vomiting, fever and often by respiratory symptoms. Severe complications have not been observed.