The Incidence of Rotavirus and Adenovirus Infections among Children with Diarrhea in Sulaimani Province, Iraq

Human rotavirus and adenovirus infections are major causes of acute outbreaks and sporadic cases of gastroenteritis, occurring primarily among children less than 5 years of age. Little is known about the epidemiology of rotavirus and enteric adenovirus infections in Sulaimani and Iraq. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and clinical significance of rotavirus and enteric adenovirus gastroenteritis and also to determine possible risk factors for rotavirus and adenovirus gastroenteritis using new simple rapid screening test (VIKIA ROTA AND ADENO). This is a qualitative test based on the immunochromatography technique. In the study, one hundred children less than 5 years of age with acute gastroenteritis admitted to Sulaimani Paediatric Hospital were studied. Rotavirus was identified in 22% of the children, adenovirus was identified in 3% of the children, and mixed rotavirus and adenovirus was identified in 2% of the children. All positive cases were younger than 2 years of age. The findings show that rotavirus is most commonly detected. However, there were no significant associations between rotavirus and adenovirus and gender, type of feeding, geographical distribution, the source of drinking water, and the past history of admission to hospital.