Open Access
CC BY 4.0 · Journal of Child Science 2021; 11(01): e338-e349
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1718543
Original Article

Epidemiology of Group A Rotavirus Diarrhea among Children Hospitalized for Acute Gastroenteritis in Ondo State, Nigeria

Michael Oluyemi Babalola
1   Department of Virology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
2   Department of Microbiology, Division of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, Virology and Special Pathogens Research, Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo State, Nigeria
,
David Olufemi Olaleye
1   Department of Virology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
,
Georgina Njideka Odaibo
1   Department of Virology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
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Abstract

Globally, infective group A rotavirus (RVA) enteric infection in children culminates in acute diarrheal disease, severe dehydration, and mortality in children under the age of 5 years, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. This research sought to determine the prevalence of RVA diarrhea among children aged below 5 years in Ondo state, as one of the necessary frameworks before instituting a vaccine campaign, and to expand knowledge on the epidemiology of RVA diarrhea in Nigeria.

In a cross-sectional descriptive study between October 2012 and September 2014, convenience sampling was adopted to obtain demographic information, clinical details, and stool samples from accented under five children who sought treatment for acute gastroenteritis at designated hospitals in Akure and Owo, Nigeria. A total of 390 stool samples were collected from children with acute diarrhea and tested for VP6 RVA antigen using enzyme immunoassay. Data generated were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square at α 0.05.

From the 390 children hospitalized for diarrhea, 240 samples (240/390; 61.5%) were from males, while 150 samples (150/390; 38.5%) were from females, representing a male:female ratio of 1.6:1. RVAs were found in 24.2% (58/240) males and 28% (42/150) females, giving a male-female ratio of 1:1.2 and total prevalence of 25.6% (100/390). RVA infection was inversely proportional to the age as a rate of 11.8% was observed in children aged above 36 months and 31.8% (35/110) in children 7 to 12 months, while the highest rate (45.7%) was among children ≤ 6 months old. No significant difference was found (chi-square = 0.712) in the induction of diarrhea in children from Akure and Owo, neither was there any significant difference in the rates of infection between the boys and girls in Akure (chi-square = 0.576) nor in Owo (chi-square = 0.333). Seasonal association (chi-square= 5.802) in RVA infection was observed in the rainy season of year 2013/2014 period.

RVA diarrhea occurred year-round at a prevalence of 25.6%, predominantly in females. A seasonal fluctuation was observed in the rainy and dry seasons of the 2-year period. RVA diarrhea occurred predominantly in children aged below 18 months of age, and may thus help in determining the optimal period/schedule of any immunization program.

Note

This publication derived from the PhD Research Thesis of M.O.B. on molecular epidemiology of group A rotavirus among children with gastroenteritis in Ondo state, Nigeria.




Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 30. Mai 2020

Angenommen: 17. August 2020

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
25. Dezember 2021

© 2021. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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