Epidemiology of human rotaviruses in a maternity unit as studied by electrophoresis of genomic RNA

An epidemiological survey of Rotavirus infections in a maternity unit was carried out between May 1983 and August 1984. Rotaviruses have been detected throughout the survey in 184 of 528 fecal samples obtained from 3 and 6 day-old newborns. Rotavirus excretion could be detected neither from the mothers nor from the medical attendants. Rotavirus RNA was analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. All the strains isolated exhibited the same electropherotype. This result contrasts with the genomic variability amongst Rotavirus strains usually observed in pediatric wards, and is in agreement with some other studies conducted in maternity wards; in these locations Rotavirus infection seems to have a special epidemic status as compared with other communities.