MONITORING OF ROTAVIRUS INFECTION IN A PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL BY RNA ELECTROPHORESIS

During the spring of 1987 and the autumn of 1988, stool specimens were collected from infants and young children in the paediatric unit at H . F. Verwoerd Hospital, Pretoria, and examined for the presence of rot aviruses to assess the potential for hospital-acquired infection in th e paediatric wards. Stool samples were also collected from children ad mitted to the hospital for causes unrelated to gastro-enteritis to inv estigate the possible asymptomatic carriage of rotavirus in this popul ation, Hospital-acquired rotavirus infection was determined in only 9% of cases, Very little asymptomatic carriage of the virus was identifi ed, Electrophoretic analysis of the rotavirus strains showed that the majority of the infections (20 of 42) were associated with a particula r strain with a long RNA profile, while 7 minor strains co-circulated (5 with a long electrophoretype and 2 with a short one), An apparent s mall outbreak of nosocomial infection with a single strain was observe d to occur in one of the paediatric wards during the spring and early summer.