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Primary care-based surveillance to estimate the burden of rotavirus gastroenteritis among children aged less than 5 years in six European countries

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Abstract

This observational, prospective study was undertaken to estimate the burden of rotavirus (RV) gastroenteritis (GE) leading to general practitioner (GP)/family paediatrician (FP) visits among children aged <5 years in Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK. Children aged <5 years presenting with acute GE provided stool samples for rapid RV testing. RV+ samples were confirmed and typed by RT-PCR. Demographic and clinical data were collected for all RVGE episodes. Transmission patterns among other household children aged <5 years were also assessed. From November 2005 to May 2007, excluding data from the UK, 497/3,813 (13.0%) children aged <5 years presenting with acute GE to GP/FP and tested were RV+ by PCR. Most RVGE cases (69.1%) occurred in children aged <2 years, occurred between December and May (93.1%) and were moderate or severe by Vesikari score (92.9%). RV strain distribution varied between countries: G9P[8] was the most common type in Poland (54/76) and Spain (172/196), G1P[8] was predominant in the Czech Republic (56/64) and Italy (46/107), and G4P[8] and G1P[8] both prevailed in Germany (17/54 and 13/54, respectively). A total of 24/122 (19.7%) children aged <5 years resident in the same household as a PCR+ study participant also developed RVGE. Conclusion. This multinational epidemiological study in Europe shows that RV is easily transmitted among household children, with RVGE burden highest among children aged <2 years accessing primary healthcare for acute GE.

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Abbreviations

RV:

Rotavirus

GE:

Gastroenteritis

GP:

General practitioner

FP:

Family paediatrician

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals. The study sponsor designed the study in collaboration with investigators, and coordinated data gathering, analysis and interpretation, and writing of the report. Authors had full access to all study data and final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.

We would like to thank the following persons for their contribution to the study:

Manuel Martínez-Pons (Spain), Jose Villaroya (Spain), Luis Blesa (Spain), Inmaculada Latorre (Spain), Pilar Albors-Esteve (Spain), Anton Crespo (Spain), Maria Dolores Gallego (Spain), Maria Mercedes Garcia-Ballesta (Spain), Maria Desamparados Gil-Mary (Spain), Marta Graullera-Millas (Spain), Teresa Margarit-Vercher (Spain), Maria Jesus Muñoz (Spain), Amelia Peris-Vidal (Spain), Pedro Polo-Martin (Spain), Alesandra Puertes-Almenar (Spain), Maria José Sanz (Spain), Ignacio Sorribes-Monrabal (Spain), Pilar García-Corbeira (GSK Spain), Eduardo Fernández (GSK Spain), Sandra Sistiaga (GSK Spain), Saúl Robles (GSK Spain), Silvia Della Coletta (GSK Italy), Federico Marchetti (GSK Italy), Alicja Ksiazek (GSK Poland), Jana Forejtova (Czech Republic), Zdenka Baliharova (Czech Republic), Jana Janova (Czech Republic), Michaela Lepsi (Czech Republic), Jana Blahova (Czech Republic), Jaromira Krcalova (Czech Republic), Alena Boskova (Czech Republic), Ludmila Zichova (Czech Republic), Eva Kaliskova (GSK Czech Republic), Britta Gartner (GSK Germany), Rosaleen Salter (UK), Neil Snowise (GSK UK), Miren Iturriza (HPA UK), Jim Gray (HPA UK), Celia Barberousse (formerly GSK), Liesbet De Cock (GSK Belgium).

We would also like to thank Jennifer Coward (independent freelancer for writing and editorial assistance), Uta Gomes (independent freelancer for publication coordination & editorial assistance) and Carlo Giaquinto (independent expert for assistance with data review and manuscript preparation including critical reviewing).

Rotarix is a registered trademark of the GlaxoSmithKline group of companies.

Rotateq is a registered trademark of Merck & Co.

Rotastrip is a registered trademark of Coris BioConcept.

Financial disclosure

All authors participated in the design or implementation, analysis and interpretation of the study as well as drafting and approval of the manuscript. Authors acknowledge the following potential conflicts of interest: Jean-Yves Pirçon and Nadia Meyer are employees of GSK Biologicals. Montse Soriano-Gabarró was a former employee of GSK Biologicals. Javier Diez-Domingo, Johannes Forster, Marian Patrazalek, Petr Pazdiora, Jose-Maria Baldo received consulting fees in the past 3 years. Luigi Cantarutti has no conflict of interest with GSK Biologicals.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Area de Investigación en Vacunas, Centro Superior de Investigación en Salud Pública (CSISP; Centre for Public Health Research), Avda Catalunya 21, 46020, Valencia, Spain

    Javier Diez-Domingo

  2. Centro de Salud Quart de Poblet, Valencia, Spain

    Jose-Maria Baldo

  3. Nzoz Promed, Pediatric Clinic, Kielce, Poland

    Marian Patrzalek

  4. Medical Faculty of Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic

    Petr Pazdiora

  5. St. Josefskrankenhaus, Freiburg, Germany

    Johannes Forster

  6. Pedianet network, Padova, Italy

    Luigi Cantarutti

  7. GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Rixensart, Belgium

    Jean-Yves Pirçon, Montse Soriano-Gabarró & Nadia Meyer

Authors
  1. Javier Diez-Domingo
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  2. Jose-Maria Baldo
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  3. Marian Patrzalek
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  4. Petr Pazdiora
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  5. Johannes Forster
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  6. Luigi Cantarutti
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  7. Jean-Yves Pirçon
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  8. Montse Soriano-Gabarró
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  9. Nadia Meyer
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Consortia

on behalf of the SPRIK Rotavirus Study Group

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Javier Diez-Domingo.

Additional information

SPRIK Rotavirus Study Group authors

Julia Colomer (Spain), Isabel Ubeda (Spain), Trinidad Alvarez-Laviada (Spain), Mercedes Garcia (Spain), Angels Jubert (Spain), María Garcés (Spain), Carmen Peidró (Spain), Victoria Planelles (Spain), Carmen Casani (Spain), Giacomo Toffol (Italy), Silvia Carnazza (Italy), Milada Nova (Czech Republic), Lenka Prachova (Czech Republic), Dana Kabzanova (Czech Republic), Iva Kubiasova (Czech Republic), Jirina Rusinova (Czech Republic), Pavla Sandova (Czech Republic), Dagmar Valeckova (Czech Republic), Veronika Nova (Czech Republic), Johann Disselhoff (Germany), Ulrich Behre (Germany).

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Diez-Domingo, J., Baldo, JM., Patrzalek, M. et al. Primary care-based surveillance to estimate the burden of rotavirus gastroenteritis among children aged less than 5 years in six European countries. Eur J Pediatr 170, 213–222 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-010-1289-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-010-1289-1

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