Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe gastroenteritis in infants and young children worldwide.3,9

The severity of rotavirus infection ranges from asymptomatic infection to severe dehydrating gastroenteritis, which can lead to hospitalization in some cases.8 Rotavirus is highly prevalent and contagious, infecting virtually all children by
3-5 years of age — and, in many children, more than once.2,7

Rotavirus gastroenteritis: A Potentially Serious and Unpredictable Disease

  • Since their identification as a human pathogen in 1973, rotaviruses have been identified as the most important cause of gastroenteritis in infants and young children in both developed and developing countries9
95%
of children are infected by rotavirus at least once by 5 years of age2
  • Incidence is similar in both developed and developing countries20
  • It affects children of all socioeconomic groups over the world3

A Vulnerable Population

The highest infectivity rate occurs primarily in young children between 6 and 36 months of age, probably due to the:2,3

  1. Waning of maternal antibody
  2. Maturation of the gastrointestinal tract at about 6 months, and
  3. Immunity acquired through natural infection later in childhood.
PATIENT STORIES
Read about parents dealing with rotavirus.
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