DOI: 10.17826/cumj.1854596 ISSN: 2602-3032

Epidemiological trends and seasonal patterns of rotavirus gastroenteritis in a Turkish pediatric population (2021–2024)

Serpil Doğan, Adem Doğaner
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Purpose: The aim of this study was to retrospectively investigate the prevalence of rotavirus infection among children diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis in a pediatric hospital in Kahramanmaraş between 2021 and 2024.Materials and Methods: A total of 8,003 children who presented with complaints of acute gastroenteritis between January 2021 and December 2024 were retrospectively evaluated. The frequency of rotavirus gastroenteritis was analyzed according to age, sex, and seasonal distribution. Results: During the four-year study period (2021–2024), rotavirus antigen positivity was detected in 1,005 (12.6%) of 8,003 evaluated stool samples. Annual positivity rates increased from 9.30% in 2021 to 11.98% in 2022 and 17.42% in 2023, before declining to 10.77% in 2024, with a statistically significant difference between years. The highest positivity was observed in infants aged 13-24 months (14.86%), while no significant difference was found between sexes. Monthly distribution showed peaks in February (28.27%), March (19.86%), and April (17,42%), with the lowest rates in July–August and October. Seasonally, the largest proportion of positives occurred in spring (15.52%) and winter (17.71%). Logistic regression analysis revealed that rotavirus positivity was significantly associated with year, month, age group, and hospital unit, whereas gender was not an independent predictor.Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that rotavirus is an important cause of acute gastroenteritis, particularly during the 0-2 year of life, and that the marked increase in positivity during winter and spring suggests that routine diagnostic testing should be considered during these periods.programs for infants in the region may contribute to reducing the disease burden.

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