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Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe, dehydrating diarrhea among children.
Each day, an estimated 1,400 children die from rotavirus-related disease worldwide.
In England and Wales alone, approximately 18,000 children are hospitalised every year due to rotavirus infections.
Once someone has had a rotavirus infection they usually become immune to the virus, so infections in adults are uncommon. Rotavirus can cause severe vomiting, severe diarrhoea, and stomach cramps. These symptoms usually last from 3-8 days.
Rotaviruses belong to the family Reoviridae. The viral genome consists of 11 genome segments of double-stranded RNA that encode for six structural and six non-structural viral proteins. The outer layer of the virus particle contains the surface proteins VP7 and VP4, which elicit the production of neutralising antibodies in the host and are therefore considered to be involved in protective immunity. In humans, at least 14 different VP7 antigens (G-serotypes, G for glycoprotein) and 14 different VP4 antigens (P-serotypes, P for protease-sensitive protein) have been identified. A binomial system is used to classify rotavirus strains into different serotypes.