Importance of PCR in the diagnosis and understanding of rotavirus illness in the community.

Rotavirus infections pose a significant economic burden due to hospitalisation and missed workdays. Recent studies have shown that RT-PCR may detect more symptomatic cases of rotavirus infection than antigen detection methods. We compared RT-PCR, enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and an immunochromatography method (ICG) applied to 107 stool samples. The RT-PCR detected 58 positive samples whereas the EIA and ICG detected 28 and 29 positive samples respectively. The RT-PCR assay detected all 17 samples found positive by both the EIA and ICG. Without sensitive diagnosis, infection control policies will be disadvantaged and the true economic burden of rotavirus underestimated.