Prevalence, Diagnosis, and Seasonal Patterns of Enteric Viruses Among Hospitalized Adults with Acute Gastroenteritis in the Central Region of Ukraine
Matsas O*, Vorobiova O, Mulkina O and Yaremenko K
ABSTRACT
Acute infectious gastroenteritis (AIG) remains one of the leading causes of mortality in children under 5 years of age worldwide. Among the wide range of causative agents of this infection, rotavirus has been the most prevalent pathogen over the past decade; however, it is currently being progressively displaced by another agent, namely norovirus.
Our study analyzed stool samples from 265 hospitalized patients aged 18 to 90 years who presented with symptoms of acute gastrointestinal infection at the Saint Michael Clinical Hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine, between November 2024 and April 2026. Testing was performed using a real-time multiplex PCR test system. According to the results, viruses (noroviruses, rotaviruses, astroviruses, adenoviruses, and sapoviruses) were identified as a monoinfection in 44.9% of the samples. Norovirus was detected in the majority of positive cases (32.03%), followed by rotavirus (10.54%).
Norovirus activity was observed throughout the year, with peak incidence recorded in December and during the spring season. Rotavirus activity peaked in early summer, whereas adenovirus was detected exclusively in winter and spring. Sapovirus and astrovirus occurred rarely, predominantly during the autumn and winter months.
