Microbiology Characteristics of Rotavirus

Rotavirus is a highly infectious virus capable of causing diarrheal disease in both humans and animals.

Classification

• The rotavirus belongs to the family Reoviridae, genus rotavirus and group rotavirus. As of 2007, there were five known species, A to E, and two more possible species, F and G. Species A through C are infectious to humans, although most human infections are caused by species A.

Structure

• Rotavirus is a double-shelled virus that has a wheel-like shape when viewed under an electron microscope. It consists of 85 percent protein and 15 percent genetic material, which is double-stranded RNA, split into 11 segments and housed in the core of the virus.

  Rotavirus is stable up to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), and from 3.0 to 9.0 pH.

Infection Potential in Humans

• Rotavirus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis, which causes acute diarrhea and vomiting. It is spread by the oral-fecal route, in which contaminants from feces enter the mouth via unwashed hands or other methods. The incubation time is one to three days after infection, and mild cases usually run their course in five to eight days. Rotavirus attacks the intestinal walls, preventing uptake of nutrients and causing severe diarrhea that can be fatal if left untreated.

  The population most at risk for gastroenteritis from rotavirus infection is young children and infants, and a child can be reinfected up to five times by age 2. Some infections of rotavirus may be asymptomatic, especially if the child has been infected before or is breastfeeding.

  Adults infected with rotavirus rarely show symptoms.

Infection Potential in Animals

• Various species of animals can contract illnesses from retrovirus infections, including cows, pigs, monkeys and mice. As in humans, rotavirus primarily infects infant animals.

  Scientists have been able to infect animals with rotavirus from a different species in laboratory settings, but are unsure of whether cross-species contamination occurs in nature.

Treatment of Rotavirus Infections

• Gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus is treated by increasing liquid and electrolyte intake to replace fluids lost through diarrhea, either orally or intravenously, depending on the severity of the case. Currently, no effective medication or vaccination to treat or prevent retrovirus infections exists. Although the FDA approved a vaccine in the United States in 1998, the organization withdrew it from the market the following year due to a high incidence of intestinal blockages as a serious side effect.