Rotavirus incidence in hospitalised Hong Kong children: 1 July 1997 to 31 March 2011

Highlights • 1.6% of hospitalized children below 5 years of age had a primary or any secondary discharge diagnosis of rotavirus. • Incidence of discharge diagnosis of rotavirus was 1071 and 542/100,000 person-years below 2 and 5 years of age, respectively. • A discharge diagnosis of rotavirus in children below 5 years of age likely under-reports true incidence by 1.59–2.02 times. • Adjusted and unadjusted incidence of rotavirus and all-cause gastroenteritis trended up, not down, from 1997 to 2011.