Burden of Childhood Rotavirus Disease on Health Systems in the United States

Abstract
To determine the burden of rotavirus disease before the introduction of rotavirus vaccines. From February 2005 to June 2006, prospective rotavirus surveillance was conducted in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Durham, North Carolina. Children A total of 1998 children were enrolled, with a mean age of 16.9 months. Among 1601 (80%) patients with a stool specimen, 44% were rotavirus positive. The rotavirus detection rate was 38% for patients admitted to hospital, 60% for patients requiring a short-stay hospital visit ( Before the widespread use of rotavirus vaccines in the United States, rotavirus was prevalent among children treated in hospital-based and outpatient settings and was associated with a substantial proportion of pediatric medical visits for AGE.