Seroepidemiología de los rotavirus humanos en una comunidad del partido de Avellaneda, Provincia de Buenos Aires. / [Seroepidemiology of human rotaviruses in a community of the Avellaneda district, Province of Buenos Aires]

ABSTRACT

The results obtained during a prospective study performed in 49 families of the Avellaneda District, Buenos Aires Province, in order to known the seroepidemiology of human rotaviruses under natural conditions were described. Families which included a pregnant woman, were voluntarily recruited. The newborn was studied together with its family until two years of age, in order to assess the moment of the primary rotavirus infection. Feces from every person with gastrointestinal symptoms were obtained for rotavirus diagnosis. Blood samples from every member of the family were obtained since their recruitment and each 6 months until the newborn reached two years of age. Rotavirus infections were established by determining the amount of circulating rotavirus IgG antibodies in paired serum samples using ELISA. In all, 502.2 six-month periods with paired serum samples were studied. Most of the infections detected during the first year of life were primary infections (0.64 cases per child-year; 91.3