Perinatology.  2022 Sep;33(3):143-151. 10.14734/PN.2022.33.3.143.

Clinical Characteristics of Symptomatic Rotavirus Infection in Newborn Infants and Genotype Analysis

• Kim DS
• Byun JC
• Ryoo NH
• Kim CS

• KMID: 2533890
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14734/PN.2022.33.3.143

Abstract

Objective
Clinical data on rotavirus infection in the neonatal period are still limited. In this study, we investigated the incidence and monthly distribution, clinical features, and genotypes of symptomatic rotavirus infection in newborn infants.
Methods
Medical records of newborn infants with rotavirus infection in a university hospital of Korea over a 4-year period (2011–2014) were retrospectively analyzed. These enrolled cases included hospital-acquired (HA) and community-acquired (CA) infections according to where the infection occurred. Infants included full-term and preterm infants according to the gestational age.
Results
Among 135 finally enrolled patients with symptomatic rotavirus infections, 80 (59.3%) and 55 (40.7%) cases had HA and CA infections, respectively. There were 85 (63%) and 50 (37%) full-term and preterm infants, respectively. HA infections were more common in preterm infants, whereas CA infections were more common in full-term infants (P<0.001). In the comparison between the HA group and the CA group, clinical symptoms of rotavirus infection were similar between the 2 groups. On the other hand, in comparisons between preterm and full-term groups, abdominal distension, feeding intolerance and bloody stool were more common in preterm infants, while fever was more common in full-term infants (P<0.005). The genotype of rotavirus was determined for 121 (89.6%) cases, all of which had the G4[P6] strain.
Conclusion
The type and clinical findings of rotavirus infection in preterm infants are different from those of full-term infants. G4[P6] was the only strain detected in neonatal infections regardless of where the infection occurred or the gestational age of patient.

Keyword

Clinical features; Genotype; Newborn infants; Rotavirus