Prevalence, Pattern and Genetic Diversity of Rotaviruses among Children under 5 Years of Age with Acute Gastroenteritis in South Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

ABSTRACT: Rotavirus is the most significant cause of severe acute gastroenteritis among children under 5 years of age, worldwide. Sub-Saharan Africa particularly bears the brunt of the diarrheal deaths. A meta-analysis was conducted on 43 eligible studies published between 1982 and 2020 to estimate the pooled prevalence of rotavirus infection and changes in the main rotavirus strains circulating before and after vaccine introduction among under-five children in South Africa. The pooled national prevalence of rotavirus infection was estimated at 24% (95% CI: 21-27%) for the pre-vaccination period and decreased to 23% (95% CI: 21-25%) in the post-vaccination period. However, an increased number of cases was observed in the KwaZulu-Natal (21-28%) and Western Cape (18-24%) regions post-vaccination. The

SUBMITTER: Omatola CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8538439 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature