Rotavirus and norovirus infections in children in Sana'a, Yemen.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

To describe the epidemiology of rotavirus and norovirus infection among children with acute gastroenteritis in Sana'a, Yemen.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional study from November 2007 to March 2009 of children aged 1 month to 5 years attending the emergency and outpatient departments of two hospitals in Sana'a with acute gastroenteritis. Rotavirus was detected by ELISA and genotyped by RT-PCR. Norovirus was detected by End Point RT-PCR and nucleotide sequencing.

RESULTS:

A total of 290 children (48% in the emergency department and 52% in the outpatient department of the children respectively) were enrolled. Rotavirus infections were detected in 78 (27%) and norovirus infections in 30 (10%). Rotavirus genotypes included G1P[8] (55%), G9P[8] (21%) and G2P[4] (12%) with G12 comprising 3% of strain types. The main norovirus genotype was GII.4 (27%) with >10 other genotypes detected.

CONCLUSIONS:

Rotavirus and norovirus infections are common causes of gastroenteritis in Yemen. Rotavirus vaccines could play a significant role in the control of acute childhood diarrhoea in this setting.

• Authors: Andrew Kirby, Ali Al-Eryani, Najla Al-Sonboli, Taghreed Hafiz, Mandy Beyer, Nasher Al-Aghbari, Nahala Al-Moheri, Winifred Dove, Nigel A Cunliffe, Luis E Cuevas
• Journal: Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH (Trop Med Int Health) Vol. 16 Issue 6 Pg. 680-4 (Jun 2011) ISSN: 1365-3156 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 21392189 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study)
• Copyright: © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Topics

• Acute Disease
• Caliciviridae Infections (epidemiology, virology)
• Child, Preschool
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Emergency Service, Hospital
• Female
• Gastroenteritis (epidemiology, virology)
• Genotype
• Humans
• Infant
• Male
• Norovirus (classification, genetics, isolation & purification)
• Outpatient Clinics, Hospital
• Phylogeny
• Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (methods)
• Rotavirus Infections (epidemiology)
• Yemen (epidemiology)