Comparison of human rotavirus disease in tropical and temperate settings
J. P. Hieber, S. Shelton, J. D. Nelson, J. Leon and E. Mohs
Human rotaviruses (HRV) are a common cause of acute nonbacterial
gastroenteritis in pediatric patients. A prospective study of HRV disease
in a temperate (Dallas) and a tropical (San Jose, Costa Rica) setting
demonstrated differences in seasonal distribution. In both locales, HRV
accounted for 50% to 60% of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis episodes
from December through February; this period corresponded to the cooler
months of winter in Dallas and to the dry season in San Jose. During the
rest of the observation year, the virus was not recovered from any Dallas
patients, but was found in 30% to 40% of Costa Rican patients in every
month but May. Signs, symptoms, and laboratory values suggest the small
bowel as the major site of pathophysiology; mucosal disruption may occur in
some cases.
