The Occurrence of Acute Diarrhoeas Induced by Rotaviruses and Salmonella Strains in Children Hospitalised in the Lower Silesian

Background. Childhood diarrhoea is usually caused by viral or bacterial infection. Rotaviruses are the most com− mon cause of severe diarrhoea in children worldwide and infect virtually children younger than 5 years of age. According to the Polish data, the analysis of etiological factors of acute diarrhoeas in children, shows the predom− inance of rotavirus and Salmonella as causative organisms in severe diarrhoea. Objectives. Evaluation the incidence of rotaviral and salmonella infections in diarrhoeas occurring in children hos− pitalised in the Lower Silesian Paediatrics Centre in Wrocław in the years 2002–2004. Material and Methods. In the years 2002–2004, 1800 children with symptoms of diarrhoea were received to the Lower Silesian Paediatrics Centre in Wrocław (Poland). The stool for testing was taken immediately after accep− tance of a child to the hospital and it was transferred to the laboratory. The faeces samples were examined for the presence of rotaviruses and Salmonella species. Results. The etiological factor of acute diarrhoea was identified in 856 (47.5%) out of 1800 examined children’s infections. Salmonella aetiology of the diarrhoea was diagnosed in 9.8% of examined infections. The occurrence of rotaviral infections was observed in 37.7% of acute diarrhoeas. Clinical picture of rotaviral and Salmonella infections showed a cyclic pattern of occurrence. Conclusions. Rotaviruses were the major cause of severe gastroenteritis in children hospitalised in the Lower Silesian Paediatrics Centre in Wrocław in the years 2002–2004 (Adv Clin Exp Med 2005, 14, 4, 759–763).