Rotavirus ; Children ; Gastroenteritis ; Prevalence
Abstract
Purpose: There are many clinical studies of rotavirus gastroenteritis in Korea but not for its prevalence. The purpose of this study is to know whether it has changed and its recent status. Methods: I collected the clinical informations of rotavirus gastroenteritis patients who had admitted at the Department of Pediatrics, YongIn Severance Hospital, YongIn, Korea from January 2001 to December 2010 with detection of group A antigen of rotavirus from stool. Their epidemiological data were investigated. Results: There were 928 rotaviral gastroenteritis cases for 10 years . Its annual patient number has continuously increased from 2002(N=41) to 2008 (N=162) and there was about four times increment during this time. It has diminished rapidly to almost one-third of 2008 on 2009(N=58) and decreased through next year. More than half of total cases (N=530) were found for three months from February to April. The most common prevalent season was spring. It has decreased since February 2009. Conclusion: It has remarkably increased until 2008 and rapidly lessened since February 2009. The cause of its abrupt reduction was not fully elucidated, so further study to know it should be done.