Systemic Manifestation of Rotavirus Infection in Children: A Report of Three Cases
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Updated: Mar 13, 2026

Assays for the Specific Growth Rate and Cell-binding Ability of Rotavirus
Published on: January 28, 2019
Meltem Akcaboy1, Melahat Melek Oguz1, Esma Altınel Acoglu1
1Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Sami Ulus Maternity and Children's Health and Diseases Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
Rotavirus infection can cause severe, non-gastrointestinal symptoms like encephalopathy and extremely high liver enzyme elevations. This highlights rotavirus as a systemic infection, not just a cause of gastroenteritis in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Hepatology
- Virology
Background:
- Rotavirus is a primary cause of acute gastroenteritis in children.
- While typically causing gastrointestinal symptoms, rotavirus may present with extra-intestinal manifestations.
Observation:
- Three pediatric cases of rotavirus infection were observed.
- One case involved encephalopathy, and two presented with extremely elevated hepatic transaminase levels (AST and ALT).
- These transaminase levels represent the highest reported in association with rotavirus infections.
Findings:
- Rotavirus infection can lead to severe hepatic transaminase elevation.
- Encephalopathy is a potential extra-intestinal manifestation of rotavirus.
Implications:
- Rotavirus should be considered a systemic viral infection.
- Increased awareness of rotavirus's potential for systemic and extra-intestinal manifestations is crucial for pediatric care.
- Severe hepatic involvement in rotavirus cases warrants further investigation.
Introduction:
Rotavirus is a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in children. Although the clinical complaints associated with rotavirus are generally gastrointestinal, including vomiting and diarrhea, data suggest that it can also cause symptoms that extend beyond the gastrointestinal tract.
Case Presentations:
We report three pediatric cases of rotavirus infection: one accompanied by encephalopathy and two with elevated hepatic transaminase activity. The patients were admitted to Dr. Sami Ulus maternity and children's health and diseases training and research hospital, Ankara, Turkey, from 2012 - 2014. The presented patients' aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (1765-2614 IU L-1) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (1448-3558 IU L-1) levels are, to date, the highest reported levels associated with rotavirus infections, and suggest that the rotavirus can cause severe hepatic transaminase elevation.
Conclusions:
This report aimed to increase awareness of the occurrence of extra-intestinal systemic manifestations of rotavirus infection. Although such cases may be rare, they still suggest that that rotavirus is a systemic viral infection.
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