Rotavirus infection historical perspective

Jump to navigation Jump to search

Rotavirus infection Microchapters

Home

Patient Information

Overview

Historical Perspective

Classification

Pathophysiology

Causes

Differentiating Rotavirus infection from other Diseases

Epidemiology and Demographics

Risk Factors

Screening

Natural History, Complications and Prognosis

Diagnosis

History and Symptoms

Physical Examination

Laboratory Findings

Xray

CT scan

MRI

Ultrasound

Other Imaging Findings

Other Diagnostic Studies

Treatment

Medical Therapy

Surgery

Primary Prevention

Secondary Prevention

Future or Investigational Therapies

Case Studies

Case #1

Rotavirus infection historical perspective On the Web

Most recent articles

Most cited articles

Review articles

CME Programs

Powerpoint slides

Images

American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Rotavirus infection historical perspective

All Images
X-rays
Echo & Ultrasound
CT Images
MRI

Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov

US National Guidelines Clearinghouse

NICE Guidance

FDA on Rotavirus infection historical perspective

CDC on Rotavirus infection historical perspective

Rotavirus infection historical perspective in the news

Blogs on Rotavirus infection historical perspective

Directions to Hospitals Treating Rotavirus infection

Risk calculators and risk factors for Rotavirus infection historical perspective

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Ahmed Elsaiey, MBBCH [2]

Overview

Rotavirus discovery goes back to the last century after the infection of several children with gastroenteritis of unknown reason. Studies have been held for long time through the years from 1940 till 1973. In 1973, Dr. Ruth Bishop was able to identify the pathogen causing the disease as Rotavirus.

Historical perspective

  • Through the 18th and 19th century, the diarrhea was the leading cause of death among the children without knowing the pathogen which causes this diarrhea. This continues till 1973.[1]
  • Through 1941-1943, Dr. Jacob Light and Dr. Horace Hodes did some studies on diarrhea which was epidemic at this time in Baltimore and Washington. They found an agent which was believed to be the cause of this diarrhea and after several years it was known to be the rotavirus.[2]
  • In 1965, a study was made by Dr. Alan Ferris on the gastroenteritis cases in Melbourne that time. The most common cause at this time was the bacterial pathogens but he found the number of cases are increased in the winter. The explanation of this increase was unknown pathogen that causes the disease in the winter season.
  • In 1972, Dr. Albert Kabikian published an article indicating a discovery of a viral particles in the infected stool during an outbreak of gastroenteritis in Ohio.[3]
  • Through 1972-1973, more studies were held by Dr. Ruth Bishop, et all, in order to identify the unknown pathogen causing gastroenteritis in the childern. It was on the duodenum of the infected childrens at which a virus was observed in the duodenal villi in the infected individuals. The virus was orbit shaped and named at this time reovirus or orbivirus and several other names to be named in the last by Rotavirus.[4][5]

Outbreaks

The seasonal variation of rotavirus A infections in a region of England: rates of infection peak during the winter months.

Literature references can be found at the links below.

Children dead before age 5 due to rotavirus A
Country Rate or range Published Source
Vietnam 1 in 61 to 1 in 113 2006 [6]
Bangladesh 1 in 390 to 1 in 660 2007 [7]
Venezuela 1 in 1800 2007 [8]
European Union 1 in 20433 2006 [9]
United States 1 in 21675 2007 [10]

Outbreaks of group A rotavirus diarrhea are common among hospitalized infants, young children attending day care centers, and elderly persons in nursing homes. Among adults, multiple foods served in banquets were implicated in 2 outbreaks. An outbreak due to contaminated municipal water occurred in Colorado, 1981.

Several large outbreaks of group B rotavirus involving millions of persons as a result of sewage contamination of drinking water supplies have occurred in China since 1982. Although to date outbreaks caused by group B rotavirus have been confined to mainland China, sero-epidemiological surveys have indicated lack of immunity to this group of virus in the U.S. Recent studies led to the identification of group B rotavirus occurring at a sporadic frequency in Calcutta, India and subsequently from other Asian countries as well. Thus, group B rotavirus infection may be more common than presumed earlier, but studies on this pathogen are very limited. Group B rotaviruses are difficult to isolate and cannot be easily adapted to cell culture, a property that precludes their detailed analysis.

The newly recognized group C rotavirus has been implicated in rare and isolated cases of gastroenteritis. However, it was associated with three outbreaks among school children: one in Japan, 1989, and two in England, 1990.

During 2005 the largest recorded outbreak in Nicaragua occurred. This unusual large and severe outbreak was probably due to a mutation in the rotavirus A genome, possibly helping the virus evade the prevalent immunity in the population which had no protection against this type.

For more information on recent outbreaks see the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports.

References

  1. Bishop R (2009). "Discovery of rotavirus: Implications for child health". J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 24 Suppl 3: S81–5. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1746.2009.06076.x. PMID 19799704.
  2. Light JS, Hodes HL (1943). "Studies on Epidemic Diarrhea of the New-born: Isolation of a Filtrable Agent Causing Diarrhea in Calves". Am J Public Health Nations Health. 33 (12): 1451–4. PMC 1527675. PMID 18015921.
  3. Kapikian AZ, Wyatt RG, Dolin R, Thornhill TS, Kalica AR, Chanock RM (1972). "Visualization by immune electron microscopy of a 27-nm particle associated with acute infectious nonbacterial gastroenteritis". J Virol. 10 (5): 1075–81. PMC 356579. PMID 4117963.
  4. Bishop RF, Davidson GP, Holmes IH, Ruck BJ (1973). "Virus particles in epithelial cells of duodenal mucosa from children with acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis". Lancet. 2 (7841): 1281–3. PMID 4127639.
  5. Bishop RF, Davidson GP, Holmes IH, Ruck BJ (1974). "Detection of a new virus by electron microscopy of faecal extracts from children with acute gastroenteritis". Lancet. 1 (7849): 149–51. PMID 4129719.
  6. Anh DD, Thiem VD, Fischer TK, Canh DG, Minh TT, Tho le H, Van Man N, Luan le T, Kilgore P, von Seidlein L, Glass RI (2006). "The burden of rotavirus diarrhea in Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam: baseline assessment for a rotavirus vaccine trial". Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. 25 (1): 37–40. PMID 16395100.
  7. Tanaka G, Faruque AS, Luby SP, Malek MA, Glass RI, Parashar UD (2007). "Deaths from rotavirus disease in Bangladeshi children: estimates from hospital-based surveillance". Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. 26 (11): 1014–8. doi:10.1097/INF.0b013e318125721c. PMID 17984808.
  8. Pérez-Schael I, Salinas B, González R, Salas H, Ludert JE, Escalona M, Alcalá A, Rosas MA, Materán M (2007). "Rotavirus mortality confirmed by etiologic identification in Venezuelan children with diarrhea". Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. 26 (5): 393–7. doi:10.1097/01.inf.0000260252.48129.86. PMID 17468648.
  9. Soriano-Gabarró M, Mrukowicz J, Vesikari T, Verstraeten T (2006). "Burden of rotavirus disease in European Union countries". Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. 25 (1 Suppl): S7–S11. PMID 16397431.