Italiano - Home page

ISS
Istituto Superiore di Sanità
EpiCentro - Epidemiology for public health
Epidemiology for public health - ISS

Rotavirus gastroenteritis is a common disease worldwide. In Europe and other temperate regions, rotavirus infections have a seasonal incidence and, at our latitudes, they tend to peak in winter months, between November and March. In tropical regions, seasonality is less pronounced and infections tend to occur throughout the year.

 

Rotavirus is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in infants and children under 5 years of age. Very young children, in particular, can experience severe diarrhoea with dehydration. Infections are caused primarily by group A rotavirus strains (and, to a much lesser extent, by group B and C strains).

 

A first infection with the virus does not confer lasting immunity, but subsequent infections in childhood and adulthood tend to be milder.

 

Publication date: 8 February 2021