Rotavirus in Asia: The Value of Surveillance for Informing Decisions about the Introduction of New Vaccines

Abstract

This supplement issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases highlights the continuing problem of rotavirus gastroenteritis, with a focused look at the burden of rotavirus disease in Asia and the prospects for prevention of the disease through immunization. It is estimated that, each year, rotavirus gastroenteritis causes the deaths of 310,000–590,000 infants and young children worldwide; thus, rotavirus infection is the single greatest cause of diarrhea-related deaths among children [1]. Although >90% of these deaths occur in the poorest countries [1, 2], virtually every child will experience at least one case of rotavirus gastroenteritis during the first few years of life [3]. In both developed and developing countries alike, these cases will lead to several million hospitalizations related to dehydration and diarrhea [1]. The development and implementation of oral rehydration therapy and programs to ensure that drinking water is safe have led to impressive reductions in the number of deaths due to diarrheal disease—from 4.6 million deaths among children in 1982 [4] to an estimated 2.5 million deaths among children in 2003 [5]. Despite these achievements, rotavirus infection continues to be the major cause worldwide of severe, dehydrating gastroenteritis. Primary prevention of this disease through immunization has been promoted as a key tool for the reduction in deaths globally, not just diarrhea-related deaths, because rotavirus infection accounts for as many as ∼15% of potentially vaccine-preventable deaths among children globally [6].