The zoonotic potential of rotavirus
Journal of Infection·
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jinf.2004.01.018
- PMID
- 15066329
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- W2081667026
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
Millions of people are exposed annually to animal rotaviruses through farming, countryside visits, and potential environmental contamination, creating ongoing opportunities for low-level zoonotic transmission that may introduce novel rotavirus genetic material into human populations.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The review examines whether rotaviruses can transmit from animals to humans and whether animal rotavirus strains or genetic sequences establish themselves in the human population.
Study design
This is a narrative review that synthesizes evidence from case studies, genetic sequence comparisons, and surveillance data on circulating rotavirus genotypes in human and animal populations.
Population and setting
The review considers human populations exposed to animal rotaviruses, particularly farming communities and visitors to the countryside, as well as broader populations potentially exposed through environmental contamination from livestock excrement.
Main findings
Cross-species rotavirus transmission has been demonstrated experimentally, and case studies indicate human infection by animal rotaviruses. Genetic sequence comparisons show close identity between some human and animal rotaviruses. Surveillance has detected uncommon genotypes in humans that match those found in domestic animals, suggesting possible zoonotic transmission. The low incidence of these uncommon strains suggests that establishment of animal rotaviruses or reassortant viruses in human populations occurs infrequently, though ongoing low-level introduction of animal rotavirus strains or sequences into human populations may occur given widespread annual exposure.
Public-health relevance
Millions of people are exposed annually to animal rotaviruses through farming, countryside visits, and potential environmental contamination, creating ongoing opportunities for low-level zoonotic transmission that may introduce novel rotavirus genetic material into human populations.
Important limitations
This summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata. Full assessment of the review's methodology, the strength of cited case studies, the scope of surveillance data examined, and the criteria used to infer zoonotic origin requires access to the complete published article.
GIDS interpretation
This article addresses zoonotic rotavirus transmission and would be discoverable through One Health and Transmission dynamics topic filters, as well as through the Gastroenteritis disease filter. It provides context on the potential for animal-to-human rotavirus transmission and the mechanisms by which novel genotypes may enter human populations.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 9 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.