Post-pandemic rebound of rotavirus and adenovirus in pediatric gastroenteritis: a 6-year antigen-based surveillance study from Turkey.

This report presents a 6-year antigen-based surveillance of pediatric viral gastroenteritis in Turkey, revealing substantial epidemiological shifts during and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Adenovirus circulation was strongly affected by COVID-19-related public health restrictions, showing a marked decline during restriction periods. However, rotavirus exhibited a relative increase in 2021 despite ongoing restrictions, followed by a more pronounced rise after the relaxation of measures, aligning with the "immunity debt" hypothesis associated with altered early-life viral exposure. These findings illustrate how pandemic-related interventions reshaped the circulation of enteric viruses and underscore the value of routine rapid antigen testing for detecting post-pandemic resurgences, which is underexplored in the literature.