rotavirus

noun

ro·ta·vi·rus | \ ˈrō-tə-ˌvī-rəs

Definition of rotavirus

: any of a genus (Rotavirus) of reoviruses that have a three-layered protein capsid with no outer lipid envelope when mature and that include one (species Rotavirus A) causing epidemics of severe and sometimes fatal diarrhea in infants and young children

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Following the schedule, babies should be vaccinated against hepatitis B at birth and at two months are vaccinated against illnesses like rotavirus, diphtheria, and polio. — Ariel Loop As Told To Korin Miller, SELF, "This Is What It’s Like When Your 4-Month-Old Catches Measles," 26 Aug. 2019 Also detected in some of the wells during April testing were illness-causing pathogens such as salmonella, rotavirus and cryptosporidium. — USA TODAY, "Momoa at Mauna Kea, Confederate context, Guthrie garbage tribute: News from around our 50 states," 2 Aug. 2019 Diarrheal diseases, including contagious rotavirus causing watery diarrhea, vomiting, fever and abdominal pain (mostly among infants and young children), are another risk when children are too tightly housed. — Susan Scutti, CNN, "'Crowding diseases' threaten migrant children held in US border protection facilities, expert says," 24 June 2019 Globally, cervical cancer and rotavirus infections kill hundreds of thousands of women and children every year. — Denise Grady, New York Times, "Dr. Adel Mahmoud, Who Was Credited With HPV and Rotavirus Vaccines, Dies at 76," 19 June 2018 The problem with a rotavirus vaccine was that another company had already developed one but then had to take it off the market because it was found to increase the risk of bowel obstruction in infants. — Denise Grady, New York Times, "Dr. Adel Mahmoud, Who Was Credited With HPV and Rotavirus Vaccines, Dies at 76," 19 June 2018 Babies vaccinated against rotavirus, the leading cause of severe diarrhea in infants and young children worldwide, may have a small risk of a dangerous intestinal blockage, researchers reported Tuesday. — NBC News, "Studies Find Small Risk From Rotavirus Vaccine," 20 Feb. 2018 Compare that to the case of RotaShield, the first vaccine licensed to protect against rotavirus infection. — Helen Branswell, STAT, "The vaccine dilemma: How experts weigh benefits for many against risks for a few," 23 Apr. 2018 Two rotavirus vaccines are licensed in the U.S., RotaTeq since 2006 and Rotarix since 2008. — NBC News, "Studies Find Small Risk From Rotavirus Vaccine," 20 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rotavirus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near rotavirus

rotatory

rotatory dispersion

rotatory reflection axis

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Last Updated

8 Sep 2019

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The first known use of rotavirus was in 1974

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rotavirus

noun

ro·ta·vi·rus | \ ˈrōt-ə-ˌvī-rəs

Medical Definition of rotavirus

1 capitalized : a genus of reoviruses that are causative agents of gastroenteritis and that include one (species Rotavirus A) causing epidemics of severe and sometimes fatal diarrhea in infants and young children

Note: Viruses of the genus Rotavirus have a virion with a three-layered protein capsid lacking an outer lipid envelope when mature and a core of 11 discrete segments of double-stranded RNA.

2 : any virus of the genus Rotavirus