Rotavirus diarrhea in Bangladeshi children: correlation of disease severity with serotypes

To improve the understanding of the relative importance of serotypes of rotavirus in dehydrating diarrhea, we examined the correlation of clinical characteristics and disease severity with serotype in 2,441 diarrheal episodes among children younger than 2 years of age in rural Bangladesh. Of 764 rotavirus-associated episodes, a single G type (serotype 1, 2, 3, or 4) was determined by oligonucleotide probe in 485 (63%), while 233 episodes were nontypeable. Episodes with G types 2 and 3 were associated with more-severe dehydration than episodes associated with G type 1 or 4 or with nontypeable rotavirus. Episodes did not differ by G type in prevalence of vomiting, copious diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, or length of treatment center stay. Rotavirus reinfections were detected…