Rotavirus and not age determines gastroenteritis severity in children: a hospital-based study.

2007

Background The severity of childhood gastroenteritis is generally believed to be age-related rather than aetiologyrelated. Rotavirus-induced gastroenteritis is more severe than gastroenteritis caused by other enteric pathogens and is also age-related. We thus addressed the question of whether the increased severity of rotavirus-induced gastroenteritis is related to age or to features intrinsic to the agent. Study design In this multicentre, hospital-based, prospective survey, we evaluated the severity of diarrhoea in rotavirus-positive and rotavirus-negative children up to 4 years of age. Severity was assessed with a score in four groups of age-matched children. Results Rotavirus was detect…