PROBLEMS IN THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF ROTAVIRUS INFECTION

The paper considers topical problems in the scientific and methodological provision of epidemiological surveillance of rotavirus infection, such as the significance of different routes of pathogen transmission, a trend in the development of an epidemic process, and mechanisms of its self-regulation. The virological and epidemiological data suggest that the role of rotavirus transmission via water is insignificant (contact transmission is typified by the age-related structure of morbidity; water basins and drinking water show noninfectious viral markers, the resistance of which is much higher than that of the pathogen). A total of 8556patients aged 0 to 14 years with acute enteric infections, who were treated at the Children ’s Infectious Diseases Unit, City Hospital One, Rostov-on-Don, were examined for rotavirus in the period from February 2006 to January 2009. Group A rotaviruses were detected in 34% of the patients. Examination of variations in the trend of rotavirus incidence in children of different ages revealed a set of epidemiological parameters reflecting the dynamics of an epidemic process -phasic development and a change in epidemic infection cycles in the urban population. There was a continuous alternation of epidemic cycles every 2-2.5 months. The developed methods for monitoring the epidemic process make it possible to accurately assess the current epidemiological situation and to predict higher morbidity among infants.

rotavirus infection, transmission routes, epidemic process, monitoring, prediction of morbidity