Burden of rotavirus infections in Liguria, northern Italy: hospitalizations and potential savings by vaccination

We evaluated the rates of gastroenteritis admissions to the emergency department and of rotavirus-related hospitalisations in children 5 years of age in 2006 at an Italian paediatric hospital. We calculated the number of rotavirus cases avoidable through the universal vaccination of children. Epidemiological data were extracted from the Data Elaboration Centre. To calculate the hospitalisation rate due to rotavirus, the virus was sought in the faeces of children hospitalised for acute gastroenteritis by means of rapid immunochromatographic assay. Emergency department admissions due to gastroenteritis numbered 2,396 (11.58% of the total admissions). Of these, 276 children (11.52%) were examined and then sent home, 1,286 (53.67%) were kept in short observation and 776 (32.38%) were hospitalised. In 27.83% of hospitalised cases, the rotavirus test proved positive. The rotavirus hospitalisation rate was 55 per 10,000 children 5 years of age in Genoa in 2006. In 85.6% of hospitalised patients with community-acquired rotavirus infection, the disease was severe. The number of avoidable cases confirmed that the vaccination of children 1 year of age could reduce the burden of rotavirus infection, especially with regard to hospitalisation (45 per 10,000 children 5 years of age) and admissions to short observation (85 per 10,000), generating benefits for the Italian healthcare system.