Prevalance and epidemiology of rotavirus infection in infantile diarrhoea at the Diarrhoeal Training Unit of the University Teaching Hospital of Lusaka, Zambia

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Date
2012-10-25
Authors
Somwe, Somwe wa
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Abstract
In the present study undertaken at the Diarrhoeal Training Unit of the University Teaching Hospital of Lusaka (Zambia), Rotavirus was isolated in 29 out of 152 infants (19.08%) with acute diarrhoea and in 1 out of 78 (1.28*) infants without diarrhoea. Rotavirus detection rate was related to humidity, but not to ambient temperature,and was independent of sex. The highest incidence of rotavirus infection occured in the age group 7-12 months.No clinical features could distinguish infants with rotavirus diarrhoea from those with non-rotavirus diarrhoea. Biochemical and haematological profiles of the two groups of patients were not significantly different.No high-risk factor seemed to predispose infants to human rotavirus infection, but it occured predominantly in well nourished infants.
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Keywords
Diarrhoea,viral , Diarrhoea,infantile--Zambia
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