Deaths From Rotavirus Disease in Bangladeshi Children

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Abstract
Background: To assess the potential health benefits of introducing new rotavirus (RV) vaccines, we estimated mortality from RV gastroenteritis in Bangladeshi children P < 0.001). At Matlab Hospital, RV was detected in 35% of 4597 children with diarrhea. At both sites, most RV cases were among children age 3–24 months and the number of cases peaked during the cool and dry months from December through February. Of the 325,600 deaths among children <5 years that occur each year, we estimated 5600 to 9400 (2–3%) were attributable to RV. Thus, between 1 in 390 and 1 in 660 children born in Bangladesh each year die of RV infection by age 5. Conclusions: These data clearly demonstrate the tremendous health burden of RV gastroenteritis. The increasing proportion of severe diarrhea cases underscores the need for specific interventions against RV, such as vaccines, to further reduce diarrhea mortality and morbidity.