Rotavirus-Diarrhea

Abstract

Rotavirus is a double-stranded RNA virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea among children under 5 years. The main cause of mortality from rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) is dehydration if not corrected appropriately with oral rehydration salts (ORS). Though the prevalence of RVGE is similar across countries and socio-economic groups, the higher mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia is presumably due to poor awareness and poor health system responsiveness rather than poor hygiene. Enzyme immunoassays are the most commonly used tools for diagnosis of RVGE from stool samples. ORS and zinc remain the mainstay of treatment. Water, sanitation and hygiene measures did not appear to be very effective leaving vaccination among young children as the primary means of prevention. 4 WHO prequalified live attenuated, oral vaccines are available with different efficacy in high- versus low-mortality countries. There is a high degree of protection in countries with low RV mortality, and lower protection in countries with high RV morbidity and more fatalities. Rotavirus vaccines were associated with intussusception, though larger trials failed to establish increased risk in vaccinated groups compared to placebo recipients.