Vaccine
Talk

Rota

Rotavirus causes gastroenteritis with common symptoms like watery diarrhea and vomiting, especially in children. There is no specific medicine to treat rotavirus infection; clinicians treat symptoms. Rotavirus vaccine is the best protection for children.

Rotavirus structure

Triple‑layered, non‑enveloped, icosahedral virion with 11 dsRNA segments. Inner core (VP1 RNA‑dependent RNA polymerase, VP3 capping enzyme, enclosed by VP2), intermediate capsid (VP6 trimers), and outer layer (VP7 + spike protein VP4). VP4 is cleaved to VP8* and VP5* to mediate attachment/entry.

• Inner core: VP1, VP3 within VP2 around the 11 dsRNA segments.
• Intermediate capsid: 260 trimers of VP6.
• Outer coat: VP7 glycoprotein and VP4 spikes (cleaved to VP8*/VP5*).

Transmission

Fecal–oral route.

Environmental stability

Persists for hours on hands and days on dry surfaces (toys, clothes, furniture), facilitating outbreaks in childcare settings.

Impact by age

Infants and young children

Highest burden <5 years; severe diarrhea/vomiting → dehydration, hospitalization, and risk of death without prompt care.

Adults and older children

Usually mild or asymptomatic due to prior immunity; institutional outbreaks can affect elderly with more severe symptoms.

Asymptomatic infections

Adults may shed virus without symptoms, contributing to transmission.

Vaccines and prevention

• RotaTeq (2006): five reassortant human–bovine strains; 3 doses.
• Rotarix (2008): attenuated human strain; 2 doses.

Both are oral vaccines. Widespread use reduces hospitalizations and deaths; herd effects protect unvaccinated children.

Global impact

Before immunization, rotavirus caused >500,000 deaths/year (mostly in LMICs). Similar infection rates in rich/poor countries showed hygiene alone is insufficient; vaccination is essential.

Rotavirus in Egypt

Benha J Appl Sci (2018): dominant strains G1P4, G1P8, G3P8 across seasons.
Zoonoses Review (2023): in children, G1 most frequent, then G2, G3, G4, G8, G9, G12; mixed infections noted.
Egyptian Pharm J (Apr 2024): rotavirus remains a leading cause of pediatric diarrhea; diverse genotypes detected by RT‑PCR; surveillance needed to guide vaccination strategies.

References:CDC – Rotavirus vaccines |WHO WER 96(28) |Egypt genotype studies |Virology Journal 2024

Rotarix

RotaTeq