Objective To know the rotavirus burden associated with acute gastroenteritis along with circulating genotypes among under-five children and to find out possible associations with different demographic and clinical predictors in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Methods A prospective acute gastroenteritis surveillance conducted from February 2016 to June 2019 at a tertiary care pediatric hospital in Bhubaneswar has enrolled 850 children under five years of age. The stool samples were tested for VP6 antigen of rotavirus by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and hemi-nested multiplex PCR to find out VP7 (G type) and VP4 (P type) genes. The data was presented using mean ± SD, median (IQR) along with frequencies and percentages. Results Rotavirus positivity was found in 246 children (28.9%) with male : female ratio of 3:1. An increasing trend of rotaviral diarrheal cases was seen during the winter months. History of vomiting for 2 d, age group of 12-23 mo, and fever were significantly associated with rotavirus diarrhea having odd ratios of 1.80 (95% CI , 1.48, and 1.69, respectively. Among the genotypes, G3 and P8 were found to be most common in the present study. Conclusion With the introduction of Rotavac in the state the overall rotaviral distribution has significantly changed. Children of 6-23 mo were the most affected age group in the study indicating the necessity of this vaccine in the early months of life. Response to Reviewers:We have modified the manuscript as desired. Methodology part was rewritten to avoid

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Objective Diarrheal diseases are one of the most common causes of hospitalization in children under five. Rotavirus is the most common cause of acute diarrhea in younger children, and the prevalence decreases rapidly with increasing age. The objective of the study was to estimate the burden of rotavirus infection in acute gastroenteritis among under-five children admitted to a tertiary care hospital in eastern Odisha, for the clinical profile and identity of the prevalent strains. Methods This was a prospective observational study linked to the National Rotavirus Surveillance Network (NRSN), where 720 under-five children with diarrhea were enrolled. In total, 675 stool samples of eligible candidates were sent for rotavirus isolation, and identification of strains was done by identifying VP7 (G-type) and VP4 (P-type) genes by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results Categorical variables were presented as frequency and percentage, and continuous variables were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Rotavirus was detected in 256 (37.92%) samples. Males outnumbered females. The most common affected age group was 7 to 12 months, followed by 13 to 18 months. G3P[8] was the most prevalent strain in this study. Conclusion Children between the age of 7 and 18 months were most vulnerable to rotavirus infection. The most prevalent strain varies from one region to another and continuous surveillance is needed.