JHSM
Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine

Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine (JHSM) is an unbiased, peer-reviewed, and open access international medical journal. The Journal publishes interesting clinical and experimental research conducted in all fields of medicine, interesting case reports, and clinical images, invited reviews, editorials, letters, comments, and related knowledge.

ISSN: Active
eISSN: 2636-8579
Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International License.
EndNote Style

Submit Manuscript

Index
Original Article
Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on rotavirus infection frequency in children
Abstract
Aims: During the COVID-19 pandemic, measures such as the wearing of masks, social distancing, enhanced hygiene practices, closures of workplaces and schools, and lockdowns influenced the spread of various infectious diseases. This study aimed to compare the frequency of rotavirus infections during the pandemic to that of the pre-pandemic period.
Methods: This retrospective study included 2912 patients diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis who were admitted to the Pediatric Health and Diseases Department of Hisar Intercontinental Hospital between January 2018 and August 2022. For the diagnosis of rotavirus infection, the Rota-Adeno Ag Rapid Test-Cassette was applied to stool samples as an immunochromatographic method. Patients were divided into two groups based on their hospital admission dates: before the COVID-19 pandemic (1 January 2018 to 10 March 2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (11 March 2020 to 30 August 2022).
Results: The prevalence of rotavirus infection in the entire population was 9.5% (n=277). The rate of cases of rotavirus infection was higher among patients during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the group of patients before the COVID-19 pandemic (10.9% vs. 8.7%, p=0.050). A sharp decline in the frequency of rotavirus infection was observed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period, followed by a sharp increase. In 2022, the frequency of rotavirus infections exceeded the pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
Conclusion: The provision of the rotavirus vaccine for free by health authorities, especially for at-risk infants, together with adherence to hand washing, hygiene, and sanitation rules can significantly reduce the frequency of rotavirus infections during both pandemic and non-pandemic periods.

Keywords : COVID-19, pandemic, rotavirus, viral gastroenteritis

Download Article


1. Guarino A, Aguilar J, Berkley J, et al. Acute gastroenteritis in children of the world: what needs to be done? J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2020;70(5):694-701.
2. Crawford SE, Ramani S, Tate JE, et al. Rotavirus infection. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2017;3(1):17083.
3. Dennehy PH. Rotavirus infection: an update on management and prevention. Adv Pediatr. 2012;59(1):47-74.
4. Losier A, Gupta G, Caldararo M, Dela Cruz CS. The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on viral, bacterial, and fungal respiratory infections. Clin Chest Med. 2023;44(2):407-423.
5. Hirae K, Hoshina T, Koga H. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology of other communicable diseases in Japan. Int J Infect Dis. 2023;128:265-271.
6. Plantener E, Nanthan KR, Deding U, et al. Impact of COVID-19 restrictions on acute gastroenteritis in children: a regional, Danish, register-based study. Children. 2023;10(5):816.
7. Gutierrez MB, de Assis RMS, Andrade J, Fialho AM, Fumian TM. Rotavirus A during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, 2020-2022: emergence of G6P[8] genotype. Viruses. 2023;15(8):1619.
8. Lappe BL, Wikswo ME, Kambhampati AK, et al. Predicting norovirus and rotavirus resurgence in the United States following the COVID-19 pandemic: a mathematical modelling study. BMC Infect Dis. 2023;23(1):254.
9. Gbebangi-Manzemu D, Kampunzu VM, Vanzwa HM, et al. Clinical profile of children under 5 years of age with rotavirus diarrhoea in a hospital setting in Kisangani, DRC, after the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine, a cross-sectional study. BMC Pediatr. 2023;23(1):193.
10. Kuitunen I, Artama M, Haapanen M, Renko M. Noro-and rotavirus detections in children during COVID-19 pandemic-A nationwide register study in Finland. Acta Paediatr. 2022;111(10):1978-1980.
11. Li W, Zhu Y, Lou J, Chen J, Xie X, Mao J. Rotavirus and adenovirus infections in children during COVID-19 outbreak in Hangzhou, China. Transl Pediatr. 2021;10(9):2281-2286.
12. Duman Y, Yakupoğulları Y, Gündüz A. The effects of COVID-19 Infection control measures on the frequency of rotavirus and enteric adenovirus in children. J Pediatr Inf. 2022;16(3):E153-E157.
13. Alıcı A, Çam S. How have the COVID-19 pandemic precautions affected the frequency of rotavirus and enteric adenovirus in pediatric patients? Mediterr J Infect Microb Antimicrob. 2022;11:39.
14. Taşkın Dalgıç BÇ, Yenişehirli G, Akkan M, Uzunoğlu Şirin E. COVID-19 pandemi önlemleri rotavirüs ve/veya adenovirüs kaynaklı akut gastroenterit pozitiflik oranını azalttı. Turk Hij Den Biyol Derg. 2023;80(3):257-266.
15. Gündem NS, Alp EK. Investigation of the frequency of rotavirus and enteric adenovirus in children with acute viral gastroenteritis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Contemp Med. 2022;12(5):727-732.
16. Barlas G, Ozturk H, Pehlivanturk G, Aydin S. Turkey's response to COVID-19 pandemic: strategy and key actions. Turk J Med Sci. 2021;51(7):3150-3156.
17. Ilhan MN, Tuzun H, Kilic R, Yildirim N. Nonpharmaceutical interventions in Turkey and worldwide during COVID-19 pandemic. Turk J Med Sci. 2021;51(7):3207-3214.
18. Meloni A, Locci D, Frau G, Masia G, Nurchi AM, Coppola RC. Epidemiology and prevention of rotavirus infection: an underestimated issue? J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2011;24(Suppl 2):48-51.
19. Sadiq A, Bostan N, Yinda KC, Naseem S, Sattar S. Rotavirus: genetics, pathogenesis and vaccine advances. Rev Med Virol. 2018;28(6):e2003.
20. Ogilvie I, Khoury H, Goetghebeur MM, El Khoury AC, Giaquinto C. Burden of community-acquired and nosocomial rotavirus gastroenteritis in the pediatric population of Western Europe: a scoping review. BMC Infect Dis. 2012;12(1):62.
21. Banyai K, Estes MK, Martella V, Parashar UD. Viral gastroenteritis. Lancet. 2018;392(10142):175-186.
22. Jagirdhar GSK, Pulakurthi YS, Chigurupati HD, Surani S. Gastrointestinal tract and viral pathogens. World J Virol. 2023;12(3):136-150.
23. Leung AK, Kellner JD, Davies HD. Rotavirus gastroenteritis. Adv Ther. 2005;22(5):476-487.
24. Dennehy PH. Transmission of rotavirus and other enteric pathogens in the home. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2000;19(10):S103-S105.
25. Gervasi G, Capanna A, Mita V, Zaratti L, Franco E. Nosocomial rotavirus infection: an up to date evaluation of European studies. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2016;12(9):2413-2418.
26. Festini F, Cocchi P, Mambretti D, et al. Nosocomial rotavirus gastroenteritis in pediatric patients: a multi-center prospective cohort study. BMC Infect Dis. 2010;10(1):235.
27. Kargar M, Zare M, Najafi A. Molecular epidemiology of rotavirus strains circulating among children with gastroenteritis in Iran. Iran J Pediatr. 2012;22(1):63-69.
28. Grimwood K, Lambert SB, Milne RJ. Rotavirus infections and vaccines: burden of illness and potential impact of vaccination. Paediatr Drugs. 2010;12(4):235-256.
29. Danino D, Hazan G, Mahajna R, et al. Implementing a multiplex-PCR test for the diagnosis of acute gastroenteritis in hospitalized children: are all enteric viruses the same? J Clin Virol. 2023;167:105577.
30. Zhou J, Sun Y. Effect of COVID-19 protective measures on the epidemiology characteristics of rotavirus, adenovirus, and coinfections among pediatric patients with acute gastroenteritis in Hangzhou, China. Microbiol Spectr. 2024;12(3):e0400723.
31. Kazım B, Haydar S. COVID-19 Sağlık krizinin ülkelerin sağlık sistemleri üzerine etkisi; küresel sağlik sistemleri boyutuyla bir değerlendirme. ESTÜDAM Halk Sağ Derg. 2023;8(1):105-113.
32. Cohen R, Ashman M, Taha MK, et al. Pediatric infectious disease group (GPIP) position paper on the immune debt of the COVID-19 pandemic in childhood, how can we fill the immunity gap? Infect Dis Now. 2021;51(5):418-423.
33. Burnett E, Parashar U, Tate J. Rotavirus vaccines: effectiveness, safety, and future directions. Paediatr Drugs. 2018;20(3):223-233.
34. Van de Perre P. Transfer of antibody via mother's milk. Vaccine. 2003;21(24):3374-3376.
Article available in :
Volume 7, Issue 2, 2024
Page : 213-218
https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1445998
Article Information
Received : 01 Mar 2024
Accepted : 23 Mar 2024
Published : 25 Mar 2024
Corresponding Author :

Yunus Nas: Department of Child Health and Diseases, Zeynep Kamil Women's and Children's Diseases Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkiye

[email protected]
Citation : Nas Y, Gözüküçük S. Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on rotavirus infection frequency in children. J Health Sci Med. 2024;7(2):213-218.

Read: 385
Cited: 0
Download : 97
_Footer