Abstract
Rotaviruses (RV) are major causes of diarrheal disease in humans and other animals. Until recently, it was thought that all RVs shared a common antigen, and a vaccine based on this principle is undergoing field testing in humans. However, rotavirus-like agents (RVLA) which are morphologically indistinguishable from RVs but which do not share any antigenic similarity to standard RVs have recently been isolated from cows, piglets, birds, and humans. The role of these agents in human disease has not been extensively studied. We recently discovered a RVLA which is capable of infecting infant rats (J. Virol. 52:94-98, 1984). We found that fecal samples from adults and humans with acute gastroenteritis can transmit an identical disease to the infant rats. The infection is characterized by typical pathological changes in the gastrointestinal epithelial ceils and by the passage of viral particles with a characteristic pattern of double-stranded, segmented RNA. We have devised enzyme immunoassays for the detection of RVLA antigen and antibody. The application of these assays to human specimens has indicated that RVLA infection is common in young children and that infection with RVLA can be associated with severe gastroenteritis. RVLA may be an important new agent of gastroenteritis in humans and animals.
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