🎡

Rotavirus

Rotavirus A

Triple-Layered …VP4 SpikesRNA Segments

Description

The leading cause of severe diarrhea in infants and young children worldwide. It looks like a wheel under a microscope.

TypeReoviridae

ShapeWheel-like (Icosahedral)

Size70 – 100 nm

GenomeSegmented double-stranded RNA

Discovered1973

MortalityHigh in children in developing countries due to dehydration

Discovery

Discovered in 1973 by Ruth Bishop and colleagues (Australia)

Transmission

Fecal-oral route, contaminated hands/water

Symptoms

Severe watery diarrheaVomitingFeverDehydration

💊 Treatment / Medicine

Rehydration therapy (ORS), supportive care

🛡️ Prevention

Oral Rotavirus vaccine (Rotarix/RotaTeq), hand hygiene

💡

The name 'Rotavirus' comes from the Latin word 'rota', which means 'wheel'!

Structural Components

Triple-Layered Capsid

Three separate protein shells protecting the RNA

VP4 Spikes

Proteins that stick out to attach to the intestine

RNA Segments

11 segments of double-stranded RNA

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