Resumen

GONZALEZ FERNANDEZ, María de los Angeles; HIDALGO RODRIGUEZ, Roxana  y  SILVA BLAY, Lis. Rotavirus: Enfermedad emergente de transmisión digestiva. Rev Cubana Pediatr [online]. 2003, vol.75, n.1, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3119.

Acute diarrheal diseases (ADD) are one of the main causes of infant morbidity and mortality at the world level. Some viruses associated with the production of diarrheal manifestations have been discovered in the last years. It is corroborated with the presence of viral particles observed on the electronic microscope in stools from patients with episodes of diarrhea. Among the viral agents associated with diarrheal diseases, the rotaviruses are the most important from the medical point of view. Therefore, the detection, identification, immunization studies, as well as the obtention of a vaccine for the prevention of these infectious agents are of great epidemiological value, since viral gastroenteritis causes dehydration in approximately 500 000 children annually, both in developed and underdeveloped countries, which result in direct medical costs of $264 million and $ 1 billion of total costs for society.

Palabras clave : ROTAVIRUS; ROTAVIRUS INFECTIONS [prevention & control]; ROTAVIRUS INFECTIONS [inmunology]; DIARRHEA; INFANTILE [etiology]; VIRAL VACCINES [therapeutic use]; GASTROENTERITIS [etiology].