Rotavirus virion (RV) (RV)

The Rotavirus virion is a complex, non-enveloped, triple-layered icosahedral particle that serves as the infectious agent for rotavirus gastroenteritis, a leading cause of severe diarrhea in children (Estes & Greenberg, 2013). Its genome comprises 11 segments of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) that encode structural proteins (VP1-VP4, VP6, VP7) and non-structural proteins (NSP1-NSP6). The virion specifically infects mature enterocytes in the small intestine, where the viral enterotoxin NSP4 triggers a calcium-dependent signaling pathway leading to secretory diarrhea (Desselberger, 2014). Prevention is primarily managed through live-attenuated oral vaccines, such as RotaTeq and Rotarix, which stimulate the production of neutralizing antibodies against the outer capsid proteins VP4 and VP7 (WHO, 2021). While clinical management focuses on oral rehydration therapy, the virion's replication cycle and its structural components are the focus of ongoing research for small-molecule antiviral development (Crawford et al., 2017).

Other names

RotavirusRVHuman rotavirusInfantile gastroenteritis virus

Active immunization via live-attenuated virus to elicit neutralizing antibodies (IgA) against outer capsid proteins VP7 and VP4; inhibition of viral replication and interference with enterotoxin-mediated secretion (WHO, 2021; Rossignol, 2014).