Characterisation of frequency of norovirus infection among hospitalised patients of Children’s clinical university hospital in 2021

Abstract

Objective. To characterize the frequency of norovirus infection depending on where infection was acquired, age, sex, department profile, presence of other pathogens and socio-demographic factors among hospitalized patients of “Children’s Clinical University Hospital” in 2021. Materials and Methods. Data was taken from the Children’s Clinical University Hospital internal information system Andromeda and the laboratory information system DIALAB about hospitalized patients in 2021 with a diagnosis of acute gastroenteropathy caused by norovirus (A08.1). A total number of included cases in the data analysis were 266 children aged 17 years and younger. For statistical data analysis descriptive statistical methods and single-factor, multi-factor binary logistic regression was used. Results. The incidence of healthcare-associated norovirus infection (NoV-HAI) was 4.14 cases per 1000 hospitalized children per year. There were no statistically significant differences between socio-demographic factors, the presence of other pathogens and place where infection was acquired. The chances of becoming infected with NoV in the hospital’s therapeutic profile departments were 3.99 (CI 2.07-7.69) times higher than in the departments of infectious diseases. Children with chronic illnesses and norovirus (NoV) infection were only in the NoV-HAI group (n = 10). In the NoV group acquired in the society, children were 5.24 times more likely (CI 2.71-10.13) to suffer from dehydration than in the NoV-HAI group. Conclusions. The chances of hospitalized children to obtain NoV-HAI are related to compliance with infection control measures in departments of different profiles, not to the child’s socio-demographic factors.