[Rotavirus: clinical and epidemiological study in hospitalized children under two years of age].

OBJECTIVE: Rotavirus (RV) remains as the leading cause of acute diarrheal disease in early infancy; nevertheless, there are few epidemiological studies in our geographical area. In order to better understand the clinical epidemiology of RV, we have carried out a revision of acute diarrheal illnesses in the area of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) in children younger than 2 years of age who needed hospitalization during a 12 month period. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 155 children with suspected gastroenteritis, 339 stool samples were collected and separated into two groups depending upon the presence or not of RV antigen. RESULTS: In the group of RV-positive stool patients, the occurrence of vomiting, fever, need of intravenous fluid rehydration (p = 0.01), respiratory symptoms (p 0.05). The incidence of RV-positive faeces per 100 hospitalized infants/year was 10.5 and that of infants with RV diarrhea who needed hospitalization was 5.5%/ year. CONCLUSIONS: There was no mortality related with gastroenteritis, but RV-infection remains an important cause of morbidity and socioeconomic burden. Nosocomially acquired hospital infections add to morbidity and the cost of hospitalization.