Abstract
BACKGROUND: Group-A rotaviruses are responsible for 30 to 60% of severe watery diarrhea cases in young children. Timely diagnosis of rotavirus infection helps to determine appropriate treatment and prevents unnecessary use of antibiotics. AIM: To compare Immunochromatography (ICG) with standard ELISA test for diagnosis of and to determine incidence, clinical socio-epidemiological profile and possible risk factors associated with rotavirus infection in children below five years with acute gastroenteritis. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A prospective study performed from February 2013 to April 2014 in Microbiology and Paediatrics Departments, Government Medical College, Amritsar, Punjab, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hundred stool samples from children below five years diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis were taken and tested by ICG and standard ELISA test. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Performed using the SPSS software for Windows, version 17.0. P-values calculated using χ(2) test for categorical variables. A p < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Maximum cases with ICG showed a sensitivity of 95.24% and specificity of 97.47% when compared to ELISA. Incidence of rotavirus diarrhea was 21% using ELISA and 23% using ICG. With ELISA rotavirus infection was highest in age group 6 months to 24 months (83.3%) and in male (90.47%). The infection was maximum during November to April and presented with triad of diarrhea, vomiting, fever (76.2%). Majority of cases had watery diarrhea in high percentage (90.47%). Severe dehydration (76.19%), respiratory symptoms (38.09%), bottle feeding (52.38%), malnourished children (47.61%), children playing with toys (47.6%) and submersible water pump (61.95%) as a source of drinking water associated with rotavirus infection were found to statistically significant. CONCLUSION: ICG shows a good agreement with ELISA and has the advantage of being a quicker, cost-effective and useful for testing single specimen, convenient, not requiring additional equipment, readily available, simple to perform and easy-to-read results.