Epidemiology of rotavirus gastroenteritis in infants from the area of Bochum as revealed by electrophoresis of genome RNA.

Rotaviruses were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in stool samples from 504 infants admitted with gastroenteritis to the children's hospital of the University Bochum in the period from 1979 to 1984. In most infants rotaviruses persisted in the stools for 6-8 days. Rotavirus RNA was extracted from stool samples from 203 infants. By acrylamide gel electrophoresis, bands characteristic of rotavirus double-stranded RNA were detected in 172 (85%) of these 203 samples in which the presence of rotavirus had been demonstrated by ELISA. Of the RNA-positive samples 87% had a "long" RNA pattern. Six different electropherotypes co-circulated and one electropherotype predominated for more than 4 years. In stool samples of one infant 12 genome segments were found, suggesting the possibility of simultaneous infection by more than one electropherotype or the occurrence of modification in the length of RNA segments during infection. In another infant the sequential infection by two different electropherotypes was observed.