Rotavirus Diarrhea Surveillance and its Molecular Characteristics in Ranchi, Jharkhand, 2019-2023.

Objectives: To estimate the burden of rotavirus infection, identify factors associated with acute rotavirus gastroenteritis, and characterize circulating rotavirus genotypes in children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis.

Methods: In this observational study of children aged under 5 y hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis in four tertiary care hospitals in Ranchi, Jharkhand between 2019 and 2023, stool samples were obtained and tested for rotavirus using an enzyme immunoassay. Rotavirus-positive samples were genotyped using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Results: Of the 470 stool samples tested, 39.4% were positive for rotavirus, with a higher incidence during the winter months (December to March). The likelihood of rotavirus-positivity was significantly lower in the 0-5 mo age group (odds ratio [OR]: 0.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.14-0.54; p < 0.001) and in children with diarrhea duration ≥ 5 d (OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.17-0.96; p = 0.041), and was significantly higher in children with vomiting (OR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.44-4.26; p < 0.001). The most prevalent genotypes were G2P[4] (35.9%), G1P[8] (30.9%), and G3P[8] (20.4%).

Conclusions: The rotavirus positivity rate in Ranchi was higher than that reported in other sites in India, particularly among children in the 12-23-mo age group. The dominant genotypes were G2P[4], G1P[8], and G3P[8]. Changes in the genotypic distribution during the study period indicate that ongoing genotypic surveillance is warranted in children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis.