TABLE 2.

Pathogens identified and nosocomial viral gastroenteritis (NVG) rates for two previous studies and the current study of NVG at The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto, Ontario)

Characteristic	Study period at The Hospital for Sick Children*
	1985† (n=80)	1997–1999‡ (n=43)	2004–2005§ (n=142)
Mean monthly rate (per 1000 patient days)	15.7 to 45.2	2.17 to 6.39	0.68
Virus identified
Torovirus	0 (0)	23 (53.5)	95 (67)
Rotavirus	33 (43)	10 (23.3)	27 (19)
Adenovirus	6 (8)	3 (7)	13 (9)
Calicivirus/norovirus	12 (16)	2 (4.7)	6 (4.2)
Astrovirus	11 (14)	2 (4.7)	2 (1.4)
Other viral agents	11 (15)	3 (7)	0 (0)
Salmonella species	3 (4)

Data presented as n (%) unless otherwise indicated.

^*In the 1985 study of NVG, a pathogen was identified in 95% of cases of NVG; the 1997 to 1999 and the current (2004 to 2005) studies described microbiologically confirmed cases of NVG;

^†Reference 6;

^‡Reference 9;

^§Clostridium difficile was detected in 10 (15%) of the 69 children >1 year of age tested for this pathogen