Molecular Epidemiology of Viral Gastroenteritis in Children under 5 Years: A Cross-sectional Study in Northeast Iran
Keywords:
Viral infectionViral infection, Diarrhea, Acute diarrheal illness, faecal oral route, borne diseases, water contamination, hand hygiene, pipeline contamination, acute kidney failure.Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of the most important enteric viral infections causing acute diarrhea in children under five years of age in Northeast Iran.
METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence of viral infection using Real-Time PCR in children under five years of age with acute diarrhoea referred to Imam Reza Hospital, the main referral hospital in northeastern Iran, during early September to late December of 2024. Sixty-five stool samples were collected from patients who had symptoms of fever and diarrhea and no history of rotavirus vaccination. SPSS software version 26 was used to analyze the data.
RESULTS: A significant majority (60%) tested positive for Rotavirus. This highlights Rotavirus as a primary cause of gastroenteritis in this group. Adenovirus was detected in 10.8% of the samples, while Astrovirus and Sapovirus combined accounted for 13.8% of the positive cases. The highest prevalence of co-infection was reported for Rota/Astro/Sapo (12.3%), followed by 9.2% for Rota/Adeno, 3.1% for Adeno/Astro/Sapo, and 3.1% for Rota/Adeno/Astro/Sapo, respectively.
CONCLUSION: The results of our study show a significant prevalence of gastroenteritis infections, especially Rotavirus infection, among children, highlighting the importance of surveillance and vaccination.
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