Surveillance and Genotypic Distribution of Rotavirus Diarrhea in Children with Acute Gastroenteritis in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India.

OBJECTIVES

On April 7, 2018, the rotavirus (RV) vaccine was introduced into the Universal Immunization Program of Jharkhand. This study was undertaken to describe the epidemiology, sociodemography, and clinical and genotypical distribution of children aged < 5 y with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in Dhanbad, Jharkhand.

METHODS

This hospital-based, prospective, observational study was performed across three hospitals in Dhanbad between December 2019 and December 2023. Admitted children with AGE aged < 5 y were included, and data for all enrolled children (as defined in the study protocol) were captured. The collected stool samples were tested for RV, and positive samples were genotyped.

RESULTS

Of the 591 children enrolled, 510 stool samples were eligible for RV testing; 237 (46.5%) children were found to be RV-positive, of whom 103 (57.2%) were aged 12-23 mo. The odds of developing RV gastroenteritis were 1.26 times higher in females than males (95% CI: 0.86-1.85; p = 0.22). G2P[4] was the most prevalent strain in RV-positive children, followed by G3P[8].

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study confirm that diarrhea remains an important cause of hospitalization in children aged < 5 y; additionally, the impact of untreated drinking water among hospitalized children with diarrhea is high. The changing genotypic distribution pattern of RV emphasizes the need for continued surveillance and the detection of new genotypes.