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

Overview 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. Results 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 €214,033 to €341,832. Conclusions 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.