Rotavirus Infection in Infants as Protection against Subsequent Infections

Infections with group A rotaviruses are common among infants and young children worldwide. 1 – 6 The outcome ranges from asymptomatic infection to severe, life-threatening diarrhea. 6 – 10 Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrhea among children and causes an estimated 870,000 deaths annually in developing countries. 1 – 3 , 11 , 12 The disease burden of rotavirus is so great that development of a vaccine is a global priority for public health. 11 , 12 Epidemiologic studies of rotavirus have suggested that natural immunity is acquired after early exposure to the virus and that many children acquire immunity only after several infections. 10 , 13 – 18 However, observations . . .