Prevalence of infection with rotavirus and enteric adenoviruses among children in Tanzania.

The prevalence of rotavirus and enteric adenoviruses was studied by a latex agglutination test in stool samples from 87 children below 36 months of age admitted to the diarrhoea ward of the National Teaching Hospital in Dar es Salaam. Rotavirus was detected in 17 (19.5%) of the samples, while enteric adenoviruses were detected in two (2.3%). The relative frequency of rotavirus diarrhoea was significantly lower than that observed in developed countries. Further, serum samples from healthy donors, 61 school children and 50 adults, were examined for IgG and IgM antibodies. IgG antibodies were found in 73.8% of the children (mean age 9.6 years) and 86% of the adults (mean age 31.2 years). IgM antibodies were not detected. Rotavirus is an important enteropathogen in Tanzania, and the latex agglutination test for rotavirus and adenoviruses is a rapid and reliable diagnostic method.