Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 18, 2026
Assays for the Specific Growth Rate and Cell-binding Ability of Rotavirus
Published on: January 28, 2019
Multivalent Rotavirus Vaccine and Wild-type Rotavirus Strain Shedding in Australian Infants: A Birth Cohort Study
Suifang Ye1,2, David M Whiley1,2, Robert S Ware3,4
1University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane.
Insights
RotaTeq vaccine shedding was common in Australian infants, detected in 47%-87% of stool samples after each dose. Genotyping confirmed vaccine strains, crucial for understanding rotavirus vaccine impact.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Vaccinology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Rotavirus vaccines significantly reduce severe gastroenteritis in children.
- Gaps remain in understanding rotavirus vaccine shedding and its effect on mild/asymptomatic wild-type infections.
- This study focused on RotaTeq vaccine shedding in Australian infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate rotavirus vaccine shedding in Australian infants receiving the RotaTeq vaccine.
- To differentiate between vaccine and wild-type rotavirus strains using genotyping.
- To assess the impact of RotaTeq vaccination on infant health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- The Observational Research in Childhood Infectious Diseases (ORChID) birth cohort study enrolled infants in Brisbane, Australia (2010-2014).
- Infants were followed until age two, with parents recording symptoms and submitting weekly stool swabs.
- Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and genotyping were used to detect and identify rotavirus strains.
Main Results:
- Rotavirus was detected in 9.6% of stool swabs; 95.7% were identified as RotaTeq vaccine strains.
- RotaTeq shedding occurred in 47.3%-87.0% of infants after vaccine doses 1-3, with durations of 1-8 weeks.
- Wild-type rotavirus incidence was 10.3 per 100 child-years.
Conclusions:
- RotaTeq vaccine virus shedding is frequent in infants, detected in a high percentage of stool samples post-vaccination.
- Genotyping is essential for distinguishing vaccine from wild-type rotavirus strains.
- This research aids in monitoring rotavirus vaccine effectiveness and shedding patterns.
Background:
Rotavirus vaccines have reduced moderate-to-severe gastroenteritis episodes in infants and young children. Nevertheless, knowledge gaps exist concerning rotavirus vaccine shedding and vaccine impact upon mild and asymptomatic wild-type infections. Our primary objective was to investigate vaccine shedding in Australian infants where the multivalent human-bovine reassortant rotavirus vaccine, RotaTeq, was part of the routine vaccination schedule.
Methods:
The Observational Research in Childhood Infectious Diseases (ORChID) birth cohort study was conducted in Brisbane, Australia, from September 2010 to October 2014. Newborn infants were enrolled progressively and followed until their second birthday. Parents recorded daily symptoms and mailed weekly stool swab samples from their infants to the laboratory where reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction testing was performed, and rotavirus-positive samples underwent genotyping to distinguish between vaccine and wild-type strains.
Results:
Rotavirus was detected in 1068 of 11139 (9.6%) stool swabs from 158 infants, and 994 (93.1%) were genotyped. RotaTeq vaccine strains accounted for 951 of 994 (95.7%) typed rotavirus-positive swabs. Proportions of infants shedding RotaTeq after the first, second, and third vaccine doses were 87.0%, 57.4%, and 47.3%, respectively, and median (interquartile range) shedding duration after vaccine doses 1-3 was 3 (1-8), 1.5 (1-3), and 1 (1-2), weeks, respectively. In contrast, the incidence rate of wild-type rotavirus episodes was 10.3 (95% confidence interval, 6.8-15.6) per 100 child-years of observation.
Conclusions:
RotaTeq vaccine virus was detected in stool samples from 47%-87% of infants after each vaccine dose. Genotyping is an essential tool for differentiating between rotavirus vaccine and wild-type strains and monitoring vaccine impact in children.
Clinical Trial Registration:
NCT01304914.
