General information
Group A rotaviruses are one of the most important pathogens of nosocomial gastroenteritis in veterinary and human medicine. In Germany, human rotavirus infections are among the most common gastrointestinal diarrhoeal diseases and are a notifiable infection. Rotaviruses are non-enveloped and therefore very environmentally stable viruses. Rotaviruses are transmitted both via the faecal-oral route and airborne. The destruction of enterocytes and electrolyte imbalances lead to diarrhoea and dehydration.
Detection is done from faeces; the virus antigen is detected by ELISA.