Rotavirus

Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhea among children, resulting in the hospitalization of approximately 55,000 children each year in the United States and the death of over 600,000 children annually worldwide. The incubation period for rotavirus disease is approximately 2 days. The disease is characterized by vomiting and watery diarrhea for 3 - 8 days, and fever and abdominal pain occur frequently. Immunity after infection is incomplete, but repeat infections tend to be less severe than the original infection.

Rotavirus Structure and Classification

Rotavirus is an acute infection that can have lethal consequences if left untreated. This article describes the structure and classification of the virus.

Rotavirus Symptoms

Rotavirus Transmission

Rotavirus Mechanisms

Rotavirus Structure and Classification

Rotavirus Diagnosis

Rotavirus Treatment

Rotavirus Epidemiology

Rotavirus Prevention

Rotavirus in Animals

Latest Rotavirus News and Research

Breast milk's secret weapon against RSV revealed in new study

Researchers explored how human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) protect infants from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), suggesting that these components in breast milk may prevent or reduce the severity of RSV infections through multiple mechanisms including gut microbiome modulation and direct antiviral actions.

15 Apr 2024

Viral infections contribute to more cases of intussusception in kids

Viral infections trigger more cases of intussusception, the common cause of bowel blockages in young children, than previously thought, according to a new study.

14 Mar 2024

UVA researchers join international consortium to study climate-related childhood diarrhea

UVA Health researchers have joined a new international consortium that will work to understand how climate change could affect dangerous diarrheal diseases, a leading cause of death for children under 5 years old.

13 Jan 2024

Study reveals new mechanism by which rotavirus induces diarrhea

Rotavirus causes gastroenteritis, a condition that includes diarrhea, deficient nutrient absorption and weight loss. Severe cases result in approximately 128,000 deaths annually in infants and children worldwide.

11 Dec 2023

Early viral exposure in mice weakens vaccine response, raising questions for human studies

Researchers at Washington University have demonstrated that early life exposure to multiple viruses in house mice dampens the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations later in life. The study raises concerns about the applicability of common mouse models in immunological research, suggesting that prior pathogen exposure could be a significant variable in predicting vaccine efficacy.

5 Sep 2023

Study discovers method to classify febrile illness with a single blood sample

Researchers trained machine learning (ML) models to analyze RNA molecular signatures in patients’ blood.

28 Aug 2023

COVID-19 vaccination in low- and middle-income countries should complement routine childhood vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines are effective against severe cases of the disease in children and adolescents, according to a review.

21 Aug 2023

COVID-19 lockdown may have led to waning immunity to gastrointestinal viruses

Following the first stay-at-home orders issued in the U.S. to curb the spread of COVID-19, gastrointestinal viruses such as norovirus, rotavirus and adenovirus all but disappeared from California communities, and remained at very low levels for nearly 2 years.

11 Aug 2023

Flu and COVID-19 report offers latest surveillance data and public health advice

This fortnightly flu and COVID-19 report brings together the latest surveillance data along with the latest public health advice.

21 Jul 2023

The effect of dietary supplements on antibody levels in pregnant women vaccinated with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine

Researchers discuss the effects of supplements on antibody levels following immunization against SARS-CoV-2 with inactivated vaccines.

21 Jul 2023

Investigating the incidences and risks of rotavirus-associated extraintestinal complications in hospitalized children under 5

Researchers studied extraintestinal complications of rotavirus infections in children below the age of five.

16 Jun 2023

Protein OCLN found to play crucial role in SARS-CoV-2 cell-to-cell transmission

Research explains how the SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads efficiently by directly infecting neighboring cells through a process called cell-to-cell transmission. The virus uses a protein called occludin (OCLN) to enter the cells and causes syncytium formation, which leads to viral spread.

20 Apr 2023