Background: Diarrhea is a leading cause of childhood mortality in the world accounting for 5–10 million deaths/ year. In early childhood the single most important cause of severe dehydrating diarrhea is rotavirus infection. Rotavirus and other viruses causing gastroenteritis not only are major cause of paediatric mortality but also lead to signicant morbidity'. The Importance of rapid diagnosis of rotavirus infection has been stressed upon to initiate prompt rehydration therapy and prevent unnecessary use of antibiotics'. In the light of above, the present study is undertaken, to study the incidence, clinical features and the association of severe dehydrating diarrhea with rotavirus infection in rama medical college hospital, mandhna. Objectives of the study: 1. To study the incidence of rotavirus gastroenteritis in children b/n 3 to 24 months of age admitted to the pediatrics unit with acute diarrhea. 2. To study the clinical features of rotavirus diarrhea. 3. To study the association of severe dehydrating diarrhea with rotavirus infection. Methods: After obtaining approval from the institutional ethics committee, a descriptive and explorative study was conducted in the Department of Paediatrics in Rama Hospital, All Paediatric patients between 3–24 months of age admitted with a diagnosis of acute diarrhea] disease are included. Details were entered in a predesigned profonna which has detailed history, no. of episodes of loose stools, vomiting, fever. Then a detailed anthropometry, head to te examination and systemic examination is done. Dehydration is graded as no dehydration or some dehydration and severe dehydration according to WHO criteria. Stool samples were collected from the study population, only after informed and written consent was obtained. Stool samples once collected were transported to microbiology lab as soon as possible and were tested for rotaviral antigen by ELISA test. The information was collected and data was compiled and results obtained using SPSS version 20.0 and use of Microsoft excel. Results: The incidence of rotavirus infection in all acute watery diarrhoea among children between 3 and 24 months of age is 34 %. The incidence of rotavirus infection is greater among children between 3 and 12 months (82.4%), compared to children aged 13 = and 24 months (17.6%). The children with rotaviral diarrhea, 40 (58.8%) had fever, 45 (66.2%) had vomiting, 60 (88.2%) hid sotnedehydration, 8 (11.8%) had severe dehydration, 19 (27.9%) liad perianal excoriation. Out of 13 cases of severe dehydration 8 (61.5%) were due to rotaviral diarrhea and 5 (38.4 %) were due to non-rota viral diarrhea. Though the association between rotaviral diarrhea and severe dehydration is not statistically signicant, there are; positive trends for severe dehydration with rotaviral diarrhea than with non-rotaviral diarrhea. Conclusion: This study revealed that the association between rotaviral diarrhea and severe dehydration is not statistically signicant, there isbsitive association between severe dehydration with rotaviral diarrhea than with non-rotaviral diarrhea.

Keywords: Incidence of Rota Virus; Rota Viral Diarrhea in Children; Rotaclone.