SEASONAL AND LONG-TERM TRENDS IN THE INCIDENCE OF ROTAVIRUS INFECTION AMONG CHILDREN IN TASHKENT: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS FOR 2014–2024

Rotavirus infection remains one of the leading causes of acute diarrheal diseases in young children despite the implementation of mass immunization. The aim of this study was to assess long-term trends and seasonal characteristics of rotavirus infection among children aged 0–14 years in Tashkent from 2014 to 2024. A retrospective analysis of annual and monthly incidence rates was performed, with calculation of incidence per 100,000 children. A wave-like pattern of the epidemic process was identified, with a peak in 2016, a marked decline in 2020–2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a subsequent increase in 2022–2023. Prior to 2020, a distinct winter–spring seasonality was observed; however, in the post-pandemic period this pattern shifted, with atypical summer–autumn increases. These findings suggest a transformation in the epidemiological patterns of rotavirus circulation following the pandemic and underscore the need to strengthen epidemiological and molecular genetic surveillance to evaluate changes in strain distribution and herd immunity among the pediatric population