title: Malnutrition Is Associated with Protection from Rotavirus Diarrhea: Evidence from a Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study in Bangladesh.
abstract: Rotavirus is a leading cause of dehydrating diarrhea and death among infants and children globally, particularly in communities of the developing world. While numerous studies have described the complex relationships among infectious diarrhea, growth faltering, and poverty, the impact of nutritional status on susceptibility to rotavirus diarrhea is not well understood. In a longitudinal study conducted over the first 3 years of life among 626 slum-dwelling infants enrolled at birth in Dhaka, Bangladesh, we observed that common measures of healthy growth and development were positively associated with a risk of symptomatic rotavirus infection. This finding runs counter to the idea that improving childhood nutrition will implicitly decrease the incidence of symptomatic infection by enteric pathogens. As childhood nutrition improves worldwide, rotavirus infection may remain a public health challenge, making universal vaccination of even greater importance.
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
authors: Hans
authors: H
authors: Verkerke
authors: International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors: Shihab
authors: S
authors: Sobuz
authors: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
authors: Jennie Z
authors: JZ
authors: Ma
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
authors: Sarah E
authors: SE
authors: Petri
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Reichman
authors: International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors: Firdausi
authors: F
authors: Qadri
authors: International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors: Mustafizur
authors: 0000-0002-6876-0191
authors: M
authors: Rahman
authors: International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors: Rashidul
authors: R
authors: Haque
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA wap3g@cms.mail.virginia.edu.
authors: William A
authors: WA
authors: Petri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D060467:Disease Resistance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult