Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of rotavirus gastroenteritis in the Suzhou area and the impact of climatic factors on its incidence.Methods A total of 140 031 pediatric patients with diarrhea who visited the emergency department or were hospitalized at the Children's Hospital of Soochow University from January 2017 to December 2022 were selected as the study subjects.Fecal samples were collected,and rotavirus antigen was tested using the latex method.Statistical analyses were conducted on the positive detection rate and the characteristics of confirmed rotavirus gastroenteritis cases concerning gender,age distribution,and their correlation with climatic factors.Results 42 208 cases were detected as positive for Group A rotavirus antigen,with an overall positivity rate of 30.14%.The differences in the positivity rates of Group A rotavirus from 2017 to 2022 were statistically significant(χ 2=12 358.001,P＜0.05).Among the 42 208 positive samples,the male-to-female ratio was 1.46:1.There was no significant statistical difference in the positivity rates of Group A rotavirus between different genders(χ2=2.974,P＞0.05).The age distribution of the patients ranged from 1 day to 14 years,with the majority concentrated in children under 5 years old,accounting for 96.92%,of which the age group of 6 months to 2 years was the peak incidence period,accounting for 70.26%.Rotavirus gastroenteritis mainly occurred in the autumn and winter seasons(from October to March of the following year),with December being the peak month each year.There was a negative correlation between the monthly average temperature and the distribution of rotavirus gastroenteritis cases(r=-0.263,P=0.025),while there was no significant correlation between humidity,rainfall,sunshine,average wind speed,and the distribution of rotavirus gastroenteritis cases(P＞0.05).Conclusion Rotavirus gastroenteritis in Suzhou predominantly affects children aged 6 months to 2 years,with a higher number of male patients than female patients,although there is no significant difference in the positive rate of rotavirus between genders.The incidence of rotavirus gastroenteritis is closely related to temperature and mainly occurs in autumn and winter.Therefore,it is crucial to strengthen the monitoring and prevention efforts for rotavirus gastroenteritis during these seasons.
维普
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