Investigation of the Frequency of Adenovirus and Rotavirus in Children with Acute Gastroenteritis

Introduction: Viruses are the most common agents in acute gastroenteritis. Rotavirus and adenovirus are the most important viral agents. In our study, the incidence of rotavirus and adenovirus, age, sex and season were investigated in children with gastroenteritis. Materials and Methods: Between January 1, 2017 and January 1, 2018, the data of 1281 patients who were referred by various services and outpatient clinics for the diagnosis of acute gastroenteritis were retrospectively reviewed. Chi-square test was used for the statistical analysis of the distribution of rotavirus and adenovirus according to sex, age groups and seasons. Results: Of the 1281 patients included into the study, 258 (20.1%) had rotavirus antigen positivity and 67 (5.2%) had adenovirus antigen positivity. Of the patients, 548 (42.8%) were females and 733 (57.2%) were males. There was no statistically significant difference in rotavirus positivity rate as regards sex (p> 0.05). Adenovirus positivity was higher in males (6.5%) than in females (3.5%) (p= 0.014). There was no significant difference between rotavirus and adenovirus positivity according to age groups (p> 0.05). Rotavirus positivity was more frequent in spring and winter (p< 0.05) and adenovirus positivity was more frequent in autumn and winter (p< 0.05). Conclusion: Viral agents constitute an important part of gastroenteritis in our region, as well. it is thought that the use of unnecessary antibiotics will be reduced by appropriate diagnosis