Definition

Noun: 1. A type of reovirus that causes gastroenteritis, especially in infants and young children: Rotavirus is a specific genus of virus within the Reoviridae family. It is a major global cause of severe, dehydrating diarrhea in infants and young children.

Usage

The word rotavirus is used primarily in medical, scientific, and public health contexts. It refers to the virus itself as a pathogen. - It is commonly used with verbs like cause, spread, prevent, infect, and vaccinate against. - It often appears in phrases discussing rotavirus infection, rotavirus disease, or rotavirus vaccine.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The most common cause of severe diarrhea in children worldwide is rotavirus.
  • Hospitals have strict hygiene protocols to prevent the spread of rotavirus in pediatric wards.
  • The rotavirus vaccine has significantly reduced hospitalizations for infant gastroenteritis.

Advanced Usage

• "Rotavirus gastroenteritis": The specific illness caused by the rotavirus, characterized by vomiting, watery diarrhea, and fever.
  • The child was admitted for dehydration due to rotavirus gastroenteritis.
• In epidemiological contexts, it can be discussed in terms of strains (e.g., G1P[8] is a common strain) or shedding (the period when the virus is expelled from the body).

Variants and Related Words

• Rotaviral (adjective): Pertaining to or caused by rotavirus.
  • The patient exhibited classic rotaviral symptoms.
• Reovirus (noun): The family of double-stranded RNA viruses to which rotavirus belongs.

Synonyms

• Enteric virus (a broader, less specific term for viruses that infect the intestinal tract).
• Gastroenteritis virus (a descriptive term, not a taxonomic name).

Related Phrases

• Rotavirus vaccine: The immunization used to protect against rotavirus infection.
  • The rotavirus vaccine is typically given orally to infants in a series of doses.
• Rotavirus infection: The state of being infected by the rotavirus.
  • Good handwashing is crucial to avoid rotavirus infection.

Noun

1. the reovirus causing infant enteritis