EPIDEMIOLOGIC AND CLINICAL-FEATURES OF ROTAVIRUS GASTROENTERITIS IN OMAN

Two-hundred-and-seventeen children admitted with diarrhoea and 204 unm atched controls hospitalized during the 2-year period from November 19 90 to October 1992 were included in this prospective study. Their stoo l samples were subjected to microscopy, cultures, ELISA for rotavirus and electron microscopy. Human rotavirus (HRV) was detected in 68 (31 per cent) of the stool samples in the study group and 12 (6 per cent) in the control group. There was an increased incidence in the cooler m onths of the year; typically, most of the affected infants and childre n presented with vomiting and respiratory symptoms, and had mild to mo derate dehydration. Biochemical profile showed normal or hyponatraemia and normokalaemia. A more detailed community-based study of diarrhoea l diseases in Oman is to follow this pilot study.