Decrease seen in number of community-acquired and hospital-acquired cases of rotavirus infection
TUESDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Implementation of community-based rotavirus vaccination is linked to a reduction in the number of children who are hospitalized with community-acquired rotavirus infection, and may prevent hospitalized children from getting infected with rotavirus, according to research published online Jan. 24 in Pediatrics.
Evan J. Anderson, M.D., from the Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, and colleagues assessed community-acquired and hospital-acquired rotavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza infections during five winter seasons (September through May) from 2003 to 2008. Rotavirus infection data from the 2008 to 2009 winter season was also included.
The investigators found a decrease of more than 60 percent in the rate of cases of community-acquired rotavirus hospitalizations and hospital-acquired rotavirus infections in the winter of 2007 to 2008 compared with previous seasons. During the same period, the rate of community- and hospital-acquired respiratory syncytial virus and influenza infections remained stable. Both community- and hospital-acquired rotavirus rates remained lower in the winter of 2008 to 2009 than in the winters from 2003 to 2007.
"The dramatic decrease in the number of community-acquired rotavirus cases correlated with the decrease in hospital-acquired rotavirus rates per 1,000 patient days in 2007 to 2008 that was sustained in 2008 to 2009," the authors write.
Several of the study authors disclosed financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies, including Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, and Novartis.
Abstract
Full Text