Objective: To identify risk factors for infectious intestinal disease (IID) due to rotavirus group A in children aged under 16 years.
Methods: Case-control study of cases of IID with rotavirus infection presenting to general practitioners (GPs) or occurring in community cohorts, and matched controls.
Results: There were 139 matched pairs. In children under 16 years the following risk factors were significantly associated with rotavirus IID: living in rented council housing (adjusted OR = 3.78, P = 0.022), accommodation with more than five rooms (OR = 0.72, P = 0.002), contact with someone ill with IID (OR = 3.45, P < 0.001). Some foods were associated with decreased risk. In infants, bottle feeding with or without breast feeding was associated with increased risk (OR = 9.06, P < 0.05).
Conclusions: Contact with persons with IID, living in rented council housing and accommodation with fewer rooms, were significant risk factors for sporadic rotavirus IID in children whereas breast feeding is protective in infants.