[Rotavirus in acute gastroenteritis (author's transl)]

Abstract

518 stool specimens from patients with acute gastroenteritis, presumed to suffer from infections with enteropathogenic E. coli, were screened for rotavirus. Rotaviruses were found in 23.3%. Specimens containing virus mainly belonged to hospitalised infants aged less than 6 months. In 4 cases enteropathogenic E. coli were found in addition to rotaviruses. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was more sensitive than complement fixation for the detection of rotaviruses and should be used for the differential diagnosis of acute gastroenteritis.