Why the study?
Sapovirus is increasingly recognized as a major cause of childhood diarrhea in low and middle-income countries, but its prevalence among hospitalized pediatric patients in Asia needed determination.
Sapovirus has a pooled prevalence of 1.73% among hospitalized pediatric patients with acute gastroenteritis in Asia, highlighting its ongoing circulation and public health relevance.
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BACKGROUND Acute gastroenteritis significantly affects children under five, with viral agents causing over 75% of cases. Sapovirus, from the Caliciviridae family, is increasingly recognized as a major cause of childhood diarrhea, especially in low and middle-income countries with high morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality rates. AIM To determine the prevalence of sapovirus infection among hospitalized pediatric patients in Asia. METHODS This study conducted a systematic review to investigate the presence of sapovirus in hospitalised pediatric patients suffering from acute gastroenteritis across Asian countries. The articles were retrieved from Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. The review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO (No. CRD420251029792). The quality of individual studies was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. RESULTS A total of 39 studies with 30800 observations and 567 sapovirus-positive cases were analyzed. The pooled prevalence of sapovirus in hospitalized pediatric patients was 1.73% (95% confidence interval: 1.33%-2.25%). Substantial heterogeneity was observed (I 2 = 84.9%), supporting the use of a random-effects model. Sensitivity analysis using 32 high-quality studies yielded a consistent prevalence of 1.74% (95% confidence interval: 1.31%-2.31%), reinforcing the robustness of the findings. CONCLUSION In Asian countries, sapovirus has been detected in hospitalized pediatric patients with a pooled prevalence rate of 1.73%, indicating its ongoing circulation and potential public health relevance in the region. Despite variability, consistent findings from sensitivity analysis underscore the need for enhanced surveillance and water quality monitoring to reduce public health risks.
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Supports including sapovirus testing in Asian pediatric gastroenteritis evaluations; leaves open questions on prevention strategies.
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Sikenis et al. (2026) conducted a review in Acute gastroenteritis. Gastroenteritis pathogens was evaluated.
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