The development of a vaccine against rotavirus (RV) infection has necessita
ted the estimation of the number of hospitalizations for RV infection in th
e Netherlands. During 1998, pediatricians have reported all hospitalization
s with RV infection and supplied information on the duration of admission,
clinical picture, indication for admission, and treatment. Also, data from
the National Disease Registry on hospitalizations for gastroenteritis (Inte
rnational Classification of Disease codes 006.6. 006.8, 009, and 558.9) and
laboratory surveillance data for 1996-1998 were combined in a Linear regre
ssion model to indirectly estimate the incidence and proportion of hospital
izations attributable to RV infection. The direct estimate of admissions fo
r RV infection in children aged <5 years was 0.9 per 1000, and the indirect
estimate was 2.7 per 1000 in 1998 (1996, 3.4; 1997, 1,6). The proportion o
f hospitalizations for gastroenteritis attributable to RV ranged from 32% i
n 1997 to 58% in 1996.