Article Sections

Introduction

Rotavirus is a major cause of infectious diarrhea in children worldwide.  It is transmitted via the fecal-oral route and can lead to severe dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities.  The incidence of disease has greatly declined because of routine rotavirus vaccination.

Epidemiology and risk factors

Rotavirus is one of the most common causes of viral gastroenteritis in children worldwide and usually presents in children age ≤3.  It classically occurs during winter and can spread rapidly in crowded areas (eg, schools, day care facilities), particularly in unvaccinated populations.  Poor sanitation and hygiene increase transmission risk, and symptoms are more severe in immunologically naïve, unimmunized children, particularly those age <2.

Pathogenesis

Rotavirus is a nonenveloped, double-stranded RNA virus capable of undergoing genetic shifts through reassortment due to its segmented genome (

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