[Microbiological profile of acute viral gastroenteritis attended in a paediatric department of an area with high vaccine cover against rotavirus]. / Caracterización microbiológica de las gastroenteritis agudas virales atendidas en un servicio de pediatría en un área de alta cobertura vacunal frente a rotavirus.

INTRODUCTION: Vaccination against rotavirus has led to a significant decline of the disease. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the clinical and epidemiological features of the viral acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in an area with high immunization coverage against rotavirus. METHOD: A prospective microbiological evaluation was made of stool culture and Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) to gastroenteric virus and genotyping of rotavirus strains in < 5 year-old with AGE episodes attended by or admitted to our hospital from November-March of 2009-2010 and 2010-2011. RESULTS: A total of 51 patients were included, with a mean age (standard deviation) of 19.1 (13.9) months. Stool culture was negative in 23 samples (45% of the samples analyzed), and it was identified a responsible microorganism in 70% by the RT-PCR (16 samples). Rotavirus was the most common isolated microorganism (53%), and G1[P8] the most frequent genotype. A co-infection was detected in 14% of samples (7 patients), and rotavirus and astrovirus were the most frequent etiological agents involved. CONCLUSIONS: Rotavirus, basically G1[P8], is the most common AGE responsible agent identified in our study. The use of RT-PCR enhances the AGE diagnostic sensitivity, and uncovers an important number of viral co-infections.