OBJECTIVETo study the epidemiologic characteristics of virus-induced acute diarrhea in children under 5 years old in Taiyuan, Shanxi province.

METHODSStool specimens and clinical data were collected from 346 inpatients with acute diarrhea from children less than 5 years old. Rotavirus-positive specimens were identified by ELASA kit. Calicivirus and astrovirus were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Adenovirus was done by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTSOf the 346 specimens, the percentage of samples with Rotavirus, Calicivirus, Astrovirus, and Adenovirus was 40.8%, 7.5%, 6.4% and 3.2%. Among 141 rotavirus positive samples, serotype G1 (42.6%) was the predominant strain. More than 95% of viral diarrhea patients under hospitalization occurred among children younger than 2 years.

CONCLUSIONRotavirus is the major pathogen contributing to the acute diarrhea. The disease generally peaks at autumn/winter. The predominant rotavirus strain circulated was G1P[8].