Six hundred and fourteen infants and children, who wee hospitalized with acute gastroenteritit to the Department of Pediatrics, Hanyang University Hospital between March 1982 and february 1983, were examined for human rotavirus by ELISA and for bacterial pathogens. Among 614 stool samples 217 were randomly selected for both ELISA and EM examination to compare the efficiency of detection of human rotavirus in stool by both methods. Human rotavirus was detected by ELISA in the stools of 161(26.2%) among 614 patients. Campylobacte jejuni were isolated i the stools of 33(5.4%), Shigella species 30(4.9%), and Salmonella species 3 patients (0.5%).
although human rotavirus was detected throughout the year, the incidence began to increase significantly from September (16 Patients) and peak incidence observed in October(55 patients). The seasonal incidence of rotavirus diarrhea was significantly higher in autumn(106 patients) than that of winter(30 patients).
Among 579 diarrheal patients whose date of birth were known, 500(86%) were under 24 months of age. Among 147 rotavirus detected patients, 124(84%)were between 6 anc 24 months of age. The youngest rotavirus positive patient was 33 days of age and that of oldest was 7 years of age.
The efficiency of detection of human rotavirus in stool specimens by ELISA was compared with EM. Among 217 stools examined, rotavirus was detected in 69(31.8%) by ELISA and 63(28.6%) by EM. Concordance was found in 192(88%) of 217 patients examined by both methods and there was no statistically significant difference in the detection rate (p=0.23). However 16 ELISA positive, but EM negative stool specimens were reexamined by EM after ultracentrification and found to be EM positive in 6 stool specimens.
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