Rotavirus gastroenteritis in pediatric diarrhoea in Jos, Nigeria.

Four hundred and forty-two samples from children, age 0-5 years old, with acute diarrhoea attending hospitals and clinics in Jos between May 1986 to April 1987 were examined for the presence of rotavirus by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. One hundred and forty-six of these samples were positive, giving a prevalence rate of 33 per cent. The virus was more prevalent in infants 0-6 months old and decreased with an increase in age. Rotavirus was found to occur throughout the year, but there was a much higher prevalence of the virus during the dry season (59 per cent) than in the rainy season (21 per cent) with relative humidity being the most influential climatic factor for this variation. Male children and breast-fed children were more predisposed to infection with rotavirus than their counterparts.