@article{3002091,
    title = "Frequency, clinical characteristics, and genotype distribution of rotavirus gastroenteritis in Greece (2007-2008)",
    author = "Koukou, D. and Grivea, I. and Roma, E. and Tsioni, H. and Trimis, G. and Galanakis, E. and Farmaki, E. and Iosifidis, E. and Michos, A. and Siamopoulou-Mavridou, A. and Kalmanti, M. and Papadopoulou, H. and Roilides, E. and Theodoridou, M. and Syrogiannopoulos, G.A. and Syriopoulou, V.",
    journal = "Journal of Medical Virology",
    year = "2011",
    volume = "83",
    number = "1",
    pages = "165-169",
    issn = "0146-6615, 1096-9071",
    doi = "10.1002/jmv.21945",
    keywords = "virus antigen, acute gastroenteritis;  article;  child;  chromatography;  clinical feature;  clinical trial;  controlled clinical trial;  controlled study;  disease severity;  feces;  feces analysis;  female;  gastroenteritis;  gene sequence;  genotype;  Greece;  human;  infant;  major clinical study;  male;  multicenter study;  nonhuman;  pediatric hospital;  preschool child;  prevalence;  prospective study;  reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction;  Rotavirus;  species distribution, Antigens, Viral;  Child, Preschool;  Feces;  Female;  Gastroenteritis;  Genotype;  Greece;  Humans;  Infant;  Male;  Prevalence;  Prospective Studies;  Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction;  RNA, Viral;  Rotavirus;  Rotavirus Infections;  Sequence Analysis, DNA, Rotavirus;  Rotavirus A",
    abstract = "Rotavirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis among young children worldwide. A prospective multi-center study was conducted (2007-2008) in five Pediatric Hospitals to determine the prevalence, the clinical characteristics, and genotype distribution of rotavirus infection in Greece. Faecal samples were examined for the presence of group A rotavirus antigen by immunochromatography. Rotavirus strains were subjected to G and P genotyping by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing. A total of 393 children (216 boys) of median age 23 months, participated in the study. Rotavirus was the cause of acute gastroenteritis in 166 children, 42.3% (CI 95%, 37.4-47.1%) of non-hospitalized and 47.8% (CI 95%, 41.7-53.9%) of hospitalized patients. Rotavirus gastroenteritis occurred between December and April in 78.6% of the cases. Most children with RVG (77.8%) were between 3 months and 3 years old. The mean value of Clark severity score was 12.9 ± 5.1 for RVG and 10.5 ± 4.9 for non-RVG (P < 0.01). Genotypes were determined in 117 strains and their distribution was as following: G1P[8], 49%; G2P[4], 31%; G4P[8], 10%; G9P[8], 9%; and G8P[14], 1%. In conclusion, rotavirus is a frequent cause of acute gastroenteritis in Greece. The genotypes circulating are similar with those of other European countries. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc."
}