title: Protection from rotavirus reinfection: 2-year prospective study.
abstract: To measure protection induced by natural rotavirus infection, 163 infants enrolled in a rotavirus vaccine trial were prospectively followed for 2 years. Serotype 1 rotaviruses were the predominant circulating strains during the study. Over the 2 years of observation, significantly fewer infants infected before enrollment developed a symptomatic reinfection (0 of 21) or any reinfection (4 of 21) compared with previously uninfected infants (P = .0003). Of the 60 infants who developed a primary rotavirus infection in the first year (40 symptomatic, 20 asymptomatic) only 4 were reinfected in the second year compared with 29 of 82 subjects not previously infected (P = .00003). Asymptomatic primary infection appeared to be as protective as symptomatic primary infection. The only symptomatic reinfections occurred in 2 subjects who did not develop rotavirus antibody after the initial detection of rotavirus. An age-related reduction in the ratio of symptomatic to asymptomatic primary rotavirus infection was also detected. In this study, protection against homotypic serotype 1 reinfection appeared to last greater than or equal to 2 years.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Virology, James N. Gamble Institute of Medical Research, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219.
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Sander
authors.forename: V E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Schiff
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Ward
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007110:Immunity, Active; D007223:Infant; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012008:Recurrence; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines; D012703:Serotyping; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines; D014765:Viral Vaccines; C058442:WC3 rotavirus vaccine