Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Group a Rotavirus in Children of Punjab, India

Acute diarrhoeal disease or gastroenteritis continues to be a significant clinical problem throughout the world. As a major cause of hospitalization and child deaths globally, the diarrhoeal diseases account for approximately one in six deaths among children younger than five years. In India about 334 000 annual deaths among children are attributable to diarrhoeal diseases (Parashar et al., 2004; Black et al., 2010; Million Death Study Collaborators, 2010). Group A Rotavirus infection is the most common cause of severe gastroenteritis in children <5 years of age worldwide and accounts for five per cent of all deaths among children in this age group (WHO, 2009).