Steele A D, Alexander J J, Hay I T
S Afr Med J. 1986 Jan 4;69(1):21-2.
During 1982 a pilot study was initiated to investigate the prevalence of rotavirus-associated gastro-enteritis among the infants and young children admitted to the Gastro-enteritis Unit at Ga-Rankuwa Hospital. The seasonal parameters of the area were included in the study. From March to December 1982 rectal swabs were randomly collected from 256 of the more than 3 000 admissions to the unit. The swabs were stored at -20 degrees C until assayed in duplicate by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Overall 32.8% of the patients tested were found to have a rotavirus-associated illness with a definite seasonal pattern emerging, which is not in accordance with other data published for the black population in the RSA.
