Abstract

Background: More than three million children in developing countries die from acute diarrhea annually. Rotaviruses and Adenoviruses are from the most important etiologic factors in acute gastroenteritis of children. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of rotavirus and adenovirus among children with acute diarrhoea admitted to Abuzar Hospital in Ahvaz (Southwest Iran). Patients and Methods: In a descriptive, cross-sectional study over 1 year (September 2009 to August 2010), children who were admitted to Abuzar Hospital in Ahvaz with a diagnosis of acute diarrhoea were studied. Stools were examined with ELISA kits for detection of adenoviruses and rotaviruses. Results: Of 180 children in our study, 104 were boys (57.8) and 76 were girls (42.2), with a mean age of 12.86 months (1-60 months). Sixty-three (35) had rotavirus infections (mean age, 11.57 months), and 6 (3.3) had adenovirus infections (mean age, 8.17 months). We examined the seasonal distribution and found that 12 cases (19) had occurred in spring, 11 (17.5) in summer, 24 (38.1) in autumn, and 16 (25.4) in winter. There was no significant correlation between sex and viral agents causing acute diarrhoea (P = 0.96). Conclusions: This survey showed a high incidence of rotavirus infection (35) in children with acute diarrhoea, especially in children under 2 years old. It seems that use of an appropriate vaccine could effectively prevent diarrhoea in this population. Published by Kowsar Corp, 2013. cc 3.0.