Rotaviruses
| Categorization | |
|---|---|
| Genome: RNA Virus, dsRNA Virus, Segmented Virus | Structure: Nonenveloped Virus, Icosahedral Virus |
| Overview |
|---|
- Rotaviruses are a family of structurally-related viruses which are the most common cause of viral infectious diarrhea.
| Pathogenesis |
|---|
- Rotaviruses replicate within and damage the small intestinal enterocytes. In doing so, they derange GI water and electrolyte absorption, clinically manifesting as diarrhea.
| Clinical Consequences |
|---|
- Rotavirus infection usually manifests as a febrile watery diarrhea 1-2 days after inoculation. Abdominal pain and vomiting]] often occur during infection and severe cases can lead to potentially life-threatening dehydration.
| Epidemiology |
|---|
- Rotaviruses are ubiquitous and most individuals are infected as infants or children. Because immunity is often life-long, rotaviral gastroenteritis is mostly observed in young age groups as adults are typicaly immune due to previous, repeated childhood infectious.