Rotavirus hospitalisation in New Zealand children under 3 years of age.

Objective: To describe the epidemiology of severe rotavirus gastroenteritis and to estimate the hospitalisation rates of this illness in New Zealand children under 3 years of age.

Methods: Children under 3 years of age with acute diarrhoea admitted to 1 of 8 study hospitals between 1 May 1998 and 30 April 2000 were surveyed. Their socio-demographic, treatment and length-of-stay data were recorded and stool samples tested by a rotavirus-specific enzyme-linked immunoassay.