Comparison of clinical characteristics between astrovirus and rotavirus infections diagnosed in 1997 to 2002 in Hungary

Abstract Aim: To determine the severity and clinical characteristics of human astrovirus (HAstV) infections among hospitalized children and compare them with children infected by rotavirus. Methods: Retrospective, case‐control study of astrovirus‐infected and rotavirus‐infected children. Astroviruses were detected in stool samples by enzyme immunoassay and/or reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction. All stool samples were tested for rotavirus and bacterial pathogens, and all negative samples were further tested for human astrovirus. Children with astrovirus‐positive stool samples and complete clinical data were included in this study. Results: Astrovirus was detected in 29 (1.8%) children, and 63 rotavirus‐infected children were included as controls. Astrovirus‐infected children had shorter duration of diarrhea than rotavirus‐infected children (median 4 and 6 d, respectively; p <0.05), and 79% of the astrovirus infections were associated with a short duration of vomiting (median 1 and 4 d, respectively; p <0.0001). Rotavirus‐infected children had longer hospitalization ( p <0.050) than astrovirus‐infected children. Conclusion: HAstV‐infected children had similar symptoms to those occurring in rotavirus infection. However, astrovirus‐infected patients had a significantly shorter duration of diarrhea and vomiting, and they required a shorter hospitalization. On the basis of the clinical data and severity scores, children with rotavirus infection had more severe illness.