Rotavirus gastroenteritis in Italian children: Can severity of symptoms berelated to the infecting virus?

The aim of our study was to determine whether the severity of rotavirus gas troenteritis may be related to the different characteristics of infecting v iral strains. The severity of clinical symptoms in 401 children with acute rotavirus gastroenteritis was assessed using a scoring system for frequency and duration of vomiting, diarrhea, and fever, as well as the patients' re quirements for intravenous rehydration. Rotavirus strains were characterize d by determining the electropherotype of their double-stranded RNA, the G t ype and subgroup by a panel of monoclonal antibodies, and the P type by rev erse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Strains with a short electrop herotype, G2P[4] type, and subgroup I were associated with more-severe gast roenteritis and affected children older than those infected with strains wi th a long electropherotype, G1P[8] or G4P[8] type, and subgroup II. Minor d ifferences in clinical symptoms were also detected in children infected wit h different long electropherotypes and with G1P[8] and G4P[8] specificities .