Rotavirus and Adenovirus Prevalence in Patients with Acute Viral Gastroenteritis in Denizli, Turkey, 2017-2021

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to determine retrospectively the prevalence of rotavirus and enteric adenovirus in patients with gastroenteritis symptoms and the distribution of pathogens by gender, age, seasons, and years.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The stool samples sent to Pamukkale University Healthcare Research and Practice Hospital's Medical Microbiology laboratory between January 2017 and December 2021 were evaluated for rotavirus/adenovirus antigen positivity. Rotavirus and adenovirus antigens were studied with the Rotavirus-Adenovirus Combo Rapid Cassette Test (Acro Biotech, USA) kit.

FINDINGS

Rotavirus was detected in 683 (%8.2) of the 8315 stool samples evaluated, and 180 (%2.2) samples were positive for adenovirus. Coinfection was detected in 21 (0.25%) samples. Rotavirus was found at the highest rate in 2019 (p=0.001). The adenovirus was detected in 2020 at a lower rate than in other years (p=0.0001). The rotavirus was observed at a higher rate in 0-<3, 3-<6 and 6-<13 age groups; and adenovirus was detected at a higher rate in 3-<6 and 6-<13 age groups compared to other age groups (p=0.001, p=0.003, respectively). The highest rate of incidence of the rotavirus was found in spring and of adenovirus in winter.

CONCLUSION

In the etiology of gastroenteritis, especially in children, adenovirus and rotavirus should not be ignored in winter and spring. The prevalence of rotavirus was observed to have decreased in 2020 and onwards, and the prevalence of adenovirus decreased in 2020. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of Rotavirus-Associated Acute Gastroenteritis Cases in Early Childhood in Turkey: Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Rotavirus is globally the most common viral pathogen in childhood gastroenteritis. This study aimed to estimate the number of Turkish children suffering from early-childhood gastroenteritis by rotavirus by performing a meta-analysis.

METHODS

Meta-analysis following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was performed. Following the guidelines, primary studies were found reporting the prevalence of rotavirus gastroenteritis in Turkey. We performed a computerized search of published studies in national and international databases from 1990 to 2018. We selected 38 out of 721 studies for our study. Meta-analysis was carried out using R statistical software. The Cochrane Q statistic was calculated to assess the heterogeneity of the study results. Heterogeneity among studies was evaluated using the I² statistic. Effect-size estimate was reported with 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS

On the basis of 38 selected articles, 80,113 children up to five years of age were diagnosed with symptoms of acute gastroenteritis, of whom the stool samples of 13,651 children were positive for rotavirus. The pooled prevalence of rotavirus was 19% in children younger than five years of age with acute gastroenteritis. In terms of seasonal prevalence, the highest prevalence rate was found in winter.

CONCLUSION

This study supports the major prevalence of early-childhood gastroenteritis by rotavirus among Turkish children. Therefore, the decision to adopt immunization programs to prevent rotavirus infection might be helpful in Turkey.