Surveillance of rotavirus gastro-enteritis in children in Blantyre, Malawi

Background: Rotavirus is a leading cause of acute gastro-enteritis in infants and young children worldwide. Previous studies of rotavirus gastro-enteritis in Malawi have documented a high disease burden with an extensive diversity of circulating rotavirus strains. Methods: In anticipation of the introduction of national rotavirus vaccination, a 2-year surveillance study was undertaken in 2008 and 2009 of children in Blantyre seeking hospital care for acute gastro-enteritis. Rotavirus was detected in faecal specimens by ELISA. Rotavirus G and P types were determined by RTPCR. Results: Rotavirus, which circulated throughout the year, was detected in 220/720 (31%) children. Over 85% of patients with rotavirus gastro-enteritis were,1 year of age. A total of 13 rotavirus G/P types were identified, the most common strains being G1P[8] (39.5%), G12P[6] (23.2%), G2P[4] (9.5%), G9P[8] (6.8%) and G8P[4] (6.4%). Conclusions: The data confirm the importance of rotavirus infection in young Malawian children and highlight the continuing diversity of circulating rotavirus strains in Blantyre. Together with previous observations, the findings contribute to a baseline of data against which the impact of future rotavirus vaccination in Malawi can be assessed.