Diarrheal diseases are a great public health problem; they are among the most causes leading to morbidity and mortality of
infants and children particularly in developing countries and even in developed countries. Rotavirus is the most common cause of
severe gastroenteritis in infants and young children in both developed and developing countries. The purpose of this study was to
determine the incidence rate of Rotavirus infection, its genotypes, and risk factors among children with diarrhea in Taiz, Yemen.
795 fecal samples were collected from children (less than 5 years old), suffering from diarrhea and attending the Yemeni-Swedish
Hospital (YSH) in Taiz , Yemen, from November 2006 to February 2008. Rotavirus was detected by enzyme linkage immunosorbent
assay (ELISA) on stool specimens of children. Genotypes of Rotaviruswere characterized by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain
reaction (RT-PCR) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The results showed that 358 (45.2%) were Rotavirus-positive
and the most prevalent genotypes were G2P[4] (55%), followed by G1P[8] (15%). In addition, Rotavirus was found through the
whole year; however, higher frequency during the summer season (53.4%) and lower frequency during the winter season (37.1%).