Incidence of Diarrhea Caused by Rotavirus Infections in Rural Zhengding, China: Prospective, Population-Based Surveillance

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 192; no. Supplement-1; pp. S100 - S105
• Main Authors: Wang, Xuan-Yi, Xu, Zhi-Yi, von Seidlein, Lorenz, Zhang, Ying-Lin, Zhao, Shou-Jun, Hao, Zhi-Yong, Han, Oak Pil, Kilgore, Paul, Xing, Zhan-Chun, Han, Chang-Quan, Ma, Jing-Chen, Chen, Ji-Chao, Clemens, John
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The University of Chicago Press 01.09.2005; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Child, Preschool; Children; China; China - epidemiology; Diarrhea; Diarrhea - epidemiology; Epidemiology; Humans; Immunization; Incidence; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Prospective Studies; Rotavirus; Rotavirus infections; Rotavirus Infections - epidemiology; Rotavirus vaccines; Rural Population; Sentinel Surveillance; Specimens; Surveillance; Vaccination; China; China, People's Rep
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/431507

Rotavirus is the pathogen most commonly associated with severe gastroenteritis in young children in the People's Republic of China, yet there are few population-based data on the incidence of rotavirus infection. The present study investigated the burden of rotavirus diarrhea and rotavirus infections in rural China, according to age. Population-based surveillance was used to study the incidence of rotavirus infection among children <5 years of age in 4 townships of Zhengding County, Hebei Province, China. The total population in the catchment area in 2002 was 75,630 individuals, including 2997 children aged <5 years. Stool samples were obtained and were tested for rotavirus antigen by use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. During 2002, a total of 2010 cases of diarrhea were detected among children <5 years of age. The incidence of treated cases of diarrhea was 671 cases/1000 children/year for children <5 years of age, and it was highest for children <12 months of age (1467 cases/1000 children/year). The estimated incidence of rotavirus infection was 151 cases/1000 children/year for children <5 years of age. The highest incidence of rotavirus infection was among children aged 1–2 years (340 cases/1000 children/year). Widespread immunization of children against rotavirus before 6 months of age should be considered for the control of rotavirus diarrhea.