Molecular epidemiology of rotavirus in the era of vaccination

Rotavirus is the principal aetiological agent of severe acute gastroenteritis in young children worldwide. Two vaccines, Rotarix [GlaxoSmithKline] and RotaTeq [Merck], have been developed to address the large burden of disease experienced worldwide. Both vaccines have been successful in decreasing morbidity and mortality associated with rotavirus gastroenteritis. Minor fluctuations in rotavirus epidemiology have been observed since vaccine introduction. However, it is unclear whether these observations are due to selection pressures specific to vaccine introduction or due to natural genotype fluctuations.