Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics, Great Western Hospital,
Swindon, UK | Department of Pediatrics, St Richard's Hospital, Chichester, UK
Note: [] Correspondence: Siba P Paul, MBBS, DCH, MRCPCH, Department of
Pediatrics, Great Western Hospital, Marlborough Road, Swindon, Wiltshire SN3
6BB, UK. Tel.: +44 1793 604020 (Bleep 1864); E-mail: siba@doctors.org.uk
Abstract: Apart from causing the majority of episodes of gastroenteritis in
children, rotaviruses can also cause systemic illnesses such as encephalitis,
hepatitis, and acute haemorrhagic edema. Infectious rotavirus particles have
been demonstrated in the blood and CSF and more associations are to be
expected. This case series present a new association of encephalopathic state
and vasculitic rash in 3 children who were found to have rotavirus on stool
testing. Rotavirus can mimic serious bacterial infections including
meningococcaemia and meningitis and any child presenting with vasculitic rash,
encephalopathy and gastroenteritis should have a stool sample examined for
rotavirus. Awareness of this association will help paediatricians provide a
definitive diagnosis for some children presenting with signs of meningococcal
sepsis who test positive for rotavirus.
