[An epidemic outbreak among newborn infants caused by rotaviruses].

The authors describe a nosocomial infection of rotavirus gastroenteritis in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which affect ten, mainly premature infants. A positive coproculture of rotavirus is isolated from 4 symptomatic and 4 asymptomatic infants. The leading syndrome is that of dehydration in 80% of the cases, attended by moderately expressed diarrhoea and vomitus. The main laboratory sign is marked metabolic acidosis in 80% of the patients. An effective pathogenetic therapy is implemented which eliminates the infection in 2 months without lethal exitus.