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[Examples for vaccines against diarrheal diseases--rotavirus and traveller's diarrhea]

Herwig Kollaritsch1, Ursula Wiedermann

  • 1Institut für Spezifische Prophylaxe und Tropenmedizin, Zentrum für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Medizinische Universität Wien, Kinderspitalgasse 15, Vienna, Austria. Herwig.kollaritsch@meduniwien.ac.at

Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift (1946)
|April 12, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Diarrheal diseases are a major global health issue, especially for young children and travelers. Vaccines for cholera and rotavirus show promise in preventing these debilitating gastrointestinal disorders.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Vaccinology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Diarrheal diseases pose a significant global health burden, disproportionately affecting children under five in developing nations.
  • Travelers to developing countries are also at high risk for diarrheal disorders, commonly known as traveler's diarrhea.
  • Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), particularly strains producing heat-labile (LT) toxin, are frequent bacterial causes of diarrhea, with LT toxin sharing similarities with cholera toxin.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the impact of diarrheal diseases globally and discuss current and emerging vaccine strategies.
  • To highlight the role of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and rotaviruses as key pathogens.
  • To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of available vaccines against cholera and rotavirus.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of diarrheal disease prevalence, causative agents, and vaccine development.
  • Analysis of existing vaccine data, including cholera vaccines with efficacy against traveler's diarrhea.
  • Examination of rotavirus vaccines (Rotarix and RotaTeq) and their impact on infant diarrhea.

Main Results:

  • A cholera vaccine containing inactivated Vibrio cholerae and a non-toxic cholera B subunit demonstrates up to 25% efficacy in protecting travelers against diarrhea.
  • Rotaviruses are a leading cause of infant diarrhea worldwide, prompting the development of two oral vaccines.
  • Rotarix and RotaTeq vaccines show high efficacy (85-98%) against severe rotavirus disease and excellent tolerability in infants.

Conclusions:

  • Vaccination strategies, including those targeting cholera and rotavirus, are crucial for controlling diarrheal diseases in vulnerable populations and travelers.
  • The development of effective vaccines against ETEC and rotaviruses represents a significant advancement in public health.
  • Current rotavirus vaccines are well-tolerated and highly effective in preventing severe illness in infants, supporting their inclusion in vaccination schedules.

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