Epidemiology of rotavirus-associated hospital admissions in the province of Ferrara, Italy

Hospital discharge forms with specific codes for rotavirus gastroenteritis in children 0 to 14 years of age were reviewed in the period 2003-2005 in the province of Ferrara. A total of 4,238 children were admitted to the pediatric departments; 151 patients were diagnosed with rotavirus gastroenteritis. The average annual rate of hospitalization for rotavirus gastroenteritis was 1.54/1,000 children < 14 years of age and 2.9/1,000 children < 5 years of age. Most hospitalizations (72%) involved children aged < 60 months. The average length of hospital stay was about 5 days. Considering the Emilia Romagna regional reimbursement codes referable to rotavirus disease, the estimated costs of our 151 cases range from a,not sign214,033 to a,not sign341,832. The results of this study contribute to the awareness of rotavirus epidemiology in Italy and underline the potential impact of rotavirus vaccination in our province.