Skip to main content
PMC home page
Emerging Infectious Diseases logoLink to Emerging Infectious Diseases
. 1998 Oct-Dec;4(4):561–570. doi: 10.3201/eid0404.980406

Rotavirus.

U D Parashar 1, J S Bresee 1, J R Gentsch 1, R I Glass 1
PMCID: PMC2640254  PMID: 9866732

Abstract

Rotavirus, the most common diarrheal pathogen in children worldwide, causes approximately one third of diarrhea-associated hospitalizations and 800,000 deaths per year. Because natural infection reduces the incidence and severity of subsequent episodes, rotavirus diarrhea might be controlled through vaccination. Serotypespecific immunity may play a role in protection from disease. Tetravalent rhesus-human reassortant rotavirus vaccine (RRV-TV) (which contains a rhesus rotavirus with serotype G3 specificity and reassortant rhesus-human rotaviruses with G1, G2, and G4 specificity) provides coverage against the four common serotypes of human rotavirus. In clinical trials in industrialized countries, RRV-TV conferred 49% to 68% protection against any rotavirus diarrhea and 61% to 100% protection against severe disease. This vaccine was licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on August 31, 1998, and should be cost-effective in reducing diarrheal diseases in industrialized countries. The vaccine's efficacy and cost-effectiveness in developing countries should be evaluated.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (356.4 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bernstein D. I., Glass R. I., Rodgers G., Davidson B. L., Sack D. A. Evaluation of rhesus rotavirus monovalent and tetravalent reassortant vaccines in US children. US Rotavirus Vaccine Efficacy Group. JAMA. 1995 Apr 19;273(15):1191–1196. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bernstein D. I., Smith V. E., Sander D. S., Pax K. A., Schiff G. M., Ward R. L. Evaluation of WC3 rotavirus vaccine and correlates of protection in healthy infants. J Infect Dis. 1990 Nov;162(5):1055–1062. doi: 10.1093/infdis/162.5.1055. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bishop R. F., Barnes G. L., Cipriani E., Lund J. S. Clinical immunity after neonatal rotavirus infection. A prospective longitudinal study in young children. N Engl J Med. 1983 Jul 14;309(2):72–76. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198307143090203. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bishop R. F., Davidson G. P., Holmes I. H., Ruck B. J. Virus particles in epithelial cells of duodenal mucosa from children with acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis. Lancet. 1973 Dec 8;2(7841):1281–1283. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(73)92867-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cicirello H. G., Das B. K., Gupta A., Bhan M. K., Gentsch J. R., Kumar R., Glass R. I. High prevalence of rotavirus infection among neonates born at hospitals in Delhi, India: predisposition of newborns for infection with unusual rotavirus. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 1994 Aug;13(8):720–724. doi: 10.1097/00006454-199408000-00008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Clark H. F., Borian F. E., Bell L. M., Modesto K., Gouvea V., Plotkin S. A. Protective effect of WC3 vaccine against rotavirus diarrhea in infants during a predominantly serotype 1 rotavirus season. J Infect Dis. 1988 Sep;158(3):570–587. doi: 10.1093/infdis/158.3.570. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Clark H. F., Offit P. A., Ellis R. W., Eiden J. J., Krah D., Shaw A. R., Pichichero M., Treanor J. J., Borian F. E., Bell L. M. The development of multivalent bovine rotavirus (strain WC3) reassortant vaccine for infants. J Infect Dis. 1996 Sep;174 (Suppl 1):S73–S80. doi: 10.1093/infdis/174.supplement_1.s73. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Gentsch J. R., Woods P. A., Ramachandran M., Das B. K., Leite J. P., Alfieri A., Kumar R., Bhan M. K., Glass R. I. Review of G and P typing results from a global collection of rotavirus strains: implications for vaccine development. J Infect Dis. 1996 Sep;174 (Suppl 1):S30–S36. doi: 10.1093/infdis/174.supplement_1.s30. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Georges-Courbot M. C., Monges J., Siopathis M. R., Roungou J. B., Gresenguet G., Bellec L., Bouquety J. C., Lanckriet C., Cadoz M., Hessel L. Evaluation of the efficacy of a low-passage bovine rotavirus (strain WC3) vaccine in children in Central Africa. Res Virol. 1991 Sep-Oct;142(5):405–411. doi: 10.1016/0923-2516(91)90008-q. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Herrmann J. E., Chen S. C., Fynan E. F., Santoro J. C., Greenberg H. B., Wang S., Robinson H. L. Protection against rotavirus infections by DNA vaccination. J Infect Dis. 1996 Sep;174 (Suppl 1):S93–S97. doi: 10.1093/infdis/174.supplement_1.s93. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hilpert H., Brüssow H., Mietens C., Sidoti J., Lerner L., Werchau H. Use of bovine milk concentrate containing antibody to rotavirus to treat rotavirus gastroenteritis in infants. J Infect Dis. 1987 Jul;156(1):158–166. doi: 10.1093/infdis/156.1.158. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Joensuu J., Koskenniemi E., Pang X. L., Vesikari T. Randomised placebo-controlled trial of rhesus-human reassortant rotavirus vaccine for prevention of severe rotavirus gastroenteritis. Lancet. 1997 Oct 25;350(9086):1205–1209. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(97)05118-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lanata C. F., Black R. E., del Aguila R., Gil A., Verastegui H., Gerna G., Flores J., Kapikian A. Z., Andre F. E. Protection of Peruvian children against rotavirus diarrhea of specific serotypes by one, two, or three doses of the RIT 4237 attenuated bovine rotavirus vaccine. J Infect Dis. 1989 Mar;159(3):452–459. doi: 10.1093/infdis/159.3.452. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lanata C. F., Midthun K., Black R. E., Butron B., Huapaya A., Penny M. E., Ventura G., Gil A., Jett-Goheen M., Davidson B. L. Safety, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy of one and three doses of the tetravalent rhesus rotavirus vaccine in infants in Lima, Peru. J Infect Dis. 1996 Aug;174(2):268–275. doi: 10.1093/infdis/174.2.268. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Madore H. P., Christy C., Pichichero M., Long C., Pincus P., Vosefsky D., Kapikian A. Z., Dolin R. Field trial of rhesus rotavirus or human-rhesus rotavirus reassortant vaccine of VP7 serotype 3 or 1 specificity in infants. The Elmwood, Panorama, and Westfall Pediatric Groups. J Infect Dis. 1992 Aug;166(2):235–243. doi: 10.1093/infdis/166.2.235. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Nakagomi O., Nakagomi T. Genetic diversity and similarity among mammalian rotaviruses in relation to interspecies transmission of rotavirus. Arch Virol. 1991;120(1-2):43–55. doi: 10.1007/BF01310948. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Parashar U. D., Holman R. C., Clarke M. J., Bresee J. S., Glass R. I. Hospitalizations associated with rotavirus diarrhea in the United States, 1993 through 1995: surveillance based on the new ICD-9-CM rotavirus-specific diagnostic code. J Infect Dis. 1998 Jan;177(1):13–17. doi: 10.1086/513808. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Pérez-Schael I., Guntiñas M. J., Pérez M., Pagone V., Rojas A. M., González R., Cunto W., Hoshino Y., Kapikian A. Z. Efficacy of the rhesus rotavirus-based quadrivalent vaccine in infants and young children in Venezuela. N Engl J Med. 1997 Oct 23;337(17):1181–1187. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199710233371701. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Ramachandran M., Das B. K., Vij A., Kumar R., Bhambal S. S., Kesari N., Rawat H., Bahl L., Thakur S., Woods P. A. Unusual diversity of human rotavirus G and P genotypes in India. J Clin Microbiol. 1996 Feb;34(2):436–439. doi: 10.1128/jcm.34.2.436-439.1996. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Rennels M. B., Losonsky G. A., Levine M. M., Kapikian A. Z. Preliminary evaluation of the efficacy of rhesus rotavirus vaccine strain MMU 18006 in young children. Pediatr Infect Dis. 1986 Sep-Oct;5(5):587–588. doi: 10.1097/00006454-198609000-00019. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Rennels M. B., Losonsky G. A., Young A. E., Shindledecker C. L., Kapikian A. Z., Levine M. M. An efficacy trial of the rhesus rotavirus vaccine in Maryland. The Clinical Study Group. Am J Dis Child. 1990 May;144(5):601–604. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1990.02150290095037. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Ruuska T., Vesikari T., Delem A., André F. E., Beards G. M., Flewett T. H. Evaluation of RIT 4237 bovine rotavirus vaccine in newborn infants: correlation of vaccine efficacy to season of birth in relation to rotavirus epidemic period. Scand J Infect Dis. 1990;22(3):269–278. doi: 10.3109/00365549009027047. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Santosham M., Letson G. W., Wolff M., Reid R., Gahagan S., Adams R., Callahan C., Sack R. B., Kapikian A. Z. A field study of the safety and efficacy of two candidate rotavirus vaccines in a Native American population. J Infect Dis. 1991 Mar;163(3):483–487. doi: 10.1093/infdis/163.3.483. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Tucker A. W., Haddix A. C., Bresee J. S., Holman R. C., Parashar U. D., Glass R. I. Cost-effectiveness analysis of a rotavirus immunization program for the United States. JAMA. 1998 May 6;279(17):1371–1376. doi: 10.1001/jama.279.17.1371. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Török T. J., Kilgore P. E., Clarke M. J., Holman R. C., Bresee J. S., Glass R. I. Visualizing geographic and temporal trends in rotavirus activity in the United States, 1991 to 1996. National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System Collaborating Laboratories. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 1997 Oct;16(10):941–946. doi: 10.1097/00006454-199710000-00007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Velázquez F. R., Matson D. O., Calva J. J., Guerrero L., Morrow A. L., Carter-Campbell S., Glass R. I., Estes M. K., Pickering L. K., Ruiz-Palacios G. M. Rotavirus infections in infants as protection against subsequent infections. N Engl J Med. 1996 Oct 3;335(14):1022–1028. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199610033351404. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Vesikari T., Isolauri E., D'Hondt E., Delem A., André F. E., Zissis G. Protection of infants against rotavirus diarrhoea by RIT 4237 attenuated bovine rotavirus strain vaccine. Lancet. 1984 May 5;1(8384):977–981. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)92323-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Vesikari T., Isolauri E., Delem A., d'Hondt E., André F. E., Beards G. M., Flewett T. H. Clinical efficacy of the RIT 4237 live attenuated bovine rotavirus vaccine in infants vaccinated before a rotavirus epidemic. J Pediatr. 1985 Aug;107(2):189–194. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(85)80123-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Vesikari T., Rautanen T., Varis T., Beards G. M., Kapikian A. Z. Rhesus Rotavirus candidate vaccine. Clinical trial in children vaccinated between 2 and 5 months of age. Am J Dis Child. 1990 Mar;144(3):285–289. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Ward R. L. Mechanisms of protection against rotavirus in humans and mice. J Infect Dis. 1996 Sep;174 (Suppl 1):S51–S58. doi: 10.1093/infdis/174.supplement_1.s51. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Emerging Infectious Diseases are provided here courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

RESOURCES