Soonchunhyang Med Sci.  2017 Jun;23(1):29-33. 10.0000/sms.2017.23.1.29.

Comparison of Clinical Features between Noroviral and Rotaviral Gastroenteritis

• Song JI
• Park MJ
• Lee YM
• Kim CD
• Lee HK
• Kim SS
• Lee JH

• KMID: 2404873
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.0000/sms.2017.23.1.29

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Rotavirus and norovirus are the most common pathogens causing acute gastroenteritis in children. As the incidence of noroviral gastroenteritis increases, it is becoming more important to identify the clinical features of noroviral infection. We compared the clinical features of noroviral gastroenteritis and rotaviral gastroenteritis.
METHODS
This study included 79 children with noroviral and 151 children with rotaviral gastroenteritis, who were admitted to the Soonchunhyang University Gumi Hospital between January 2013 and December 2014. We reviewed their medical records and compared the clinical features of gastroenteritis between the two groups respectively.
RESULTS
In those belonging to the norovirus group, the mean age was 29.65 months, which was younger than that of the rotavirus group, at 34.74 months. Patients suffering from noroviral gastroenteritis experienced more vomiting (5.6 episodes/day) than diarrhea (3.5 episodes/day). Vomiting, diarrhea, and fever were all less severe in those suffering from noroviral gastroenteritis. It is commonly noted that patients with noroviral infection have vomiting and diarrhea without fever (55.0%), while those with rotaviral infection present with vomiting, diarrhea, and fever (44.3%).
CONCLUSION
Although noroviral gastroenteritis is less severe than rotaviral gastroenteritis, the incidence of noroviral infection is increasing, and the mean age group infected with this virus is getting younger; thus, noroviral infection must be considered in the differential diagnoses in young patients with gastroenteritis.

Keyword

Norovirus; Rotavirus; Acute gastroenteritis

MeSH Terms

Child
Diagnosis, Differential
Diarrhea
Fever
Gastroenteritis*
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Humans
Incidence
Medical Records
Norovirus
Rotavirus
Vomiting