Seasonality of rotavirus infection in Ghana

Ann Trop Paediatr. 1994;14(3):223-9. doi: 10.1080/02724936.1994.11747721.

Abstract

Human rotavirus (HRV) infection and its seasonal distribution was studied over a 12-month period in Ghana. A total of 561 stool samples, 447 diarrhoea stools and 114 non-diarrhoea stools (controls), were obtained from children attending three polyclinics in Accra. Rotavirus was detected during 10 of the 12 months and showed a seasonal trend. It was high during the relatively cool dry months and low during the wet season. Peaks of infection were in February (26.2%) and September (24.5%). HRV was detected in 67 of 447 of the diarrhoea stools (15.0%) and in eight of 114 controls (7.0%). The HRV isolation rate was highest (20.2%) in the under-18-months age group. The RNA electropherotype of the HRV isolates was predominantly (83.6%) of the long type. Non-group A HRV was detected in 14.9% of the HRV-positive samples.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child, Preschool
  • Diarrhea, Infantile / epidemiology*
  • Diarrhea, Infantile / virology
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Female
  • Ghana / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Matched-Pair Analysis
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Population Surveillance*
  • RNA, Viral*
  • Rotavirus / classification*
  • Rotavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Rotavirus Infections / virology
  • Seasons*
  • Serotyping

Substances

  • RNA, Viral