Viral gastroenteritis

Ulrich Desselberger; Jim Gray

doi:10.1016/j.mpmed.2013.09.009

Viral gastroenteritis

Medicine (Abingdon). 2013 Dec;41(12):700-704. doi: 10.1016/j.mpmed.2013.09.009. Epub 2013 Nov 22.

Authors

Ulrich Desselberger^{1

2}, Jim Gray^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ is a Director of Research, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK. Competing interests: none declared.
² is a Professor of Virology at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. Competing interests: none declared.

Abstract

This article reviews the virology, immunology and epidemiology of the most common viral causes of acute gastroenteritis (rotaviruses, human caliciviruses, astroviruses and enteric adenoviruses). The clinical symptoms span from mild diarrhoea to life-threatening dehydration, and rotavirus disease is a major cause of childhood mortality, mainly in developing countries. The diagnosis, treatment and preventive measures are reviewed. Uncommon viral causes of acute gastroenteritis and viruses causing gastroenteritis in immunodeficient patients are mentioned. The clinically most important development in this field over the past 3 years has been the wide application of the new live attenuated rotavirus vaccines in universal mass vaccination programmes in many countries.

Keywords: acute viral gastroenteritis; astrovirus; enteric adenovirus; human calicivirus; norovirus; rotavirus; rotavirus vaccine; sapovirus.

Publication types

Review