PREVALENCE OF ROTAVIRALDIARRHEA IN AHVAZ ABUZAR HOSPITAL

Introduction: In developing countries, rotaviral diarrhea is the cause of death of many children, and is the main etiology of gastroenteritis in children under 2 years old. Determination of the prevalence of rotaviral infection can reveal the impact of this infection in this group of the population and provides clues as to the strategies for prevention and treatment protocols for children suffering from diarrhea. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of group A rotavirus in diarrheic children in Ahvaz, Iran. Methods: For this purpose, 200 stool samples were collected from diarrheic children under 2 years old who were referred to Ahvaz Abuzar Hospital. The samples were examined by electron microscope and the electropherotype of extracted RNA of the virus were also studied. Results: The results showed that 59 samples (29.5%) were rotavirus positive. Conclusion: These results suggest that the prevalence of this virus in diarrheic children is moderately high in comparison with some reports from other developing countries.