rotavirus

[ roh-tuh-vahy-ruhs ]

noun

, plural ro·ta·vi·rus·es.

1. a double-stranded RNA virus of the genus Rotavirus, family Reoviridae, that is a major cause of infant diarrhea.

rotavirus

/ ˈrəʊtəˌvaɪrəs /

noun

1. any member of a genus of viruses that cause worldwide endemic infections. They occur in birds and mammals, cause diarrhoea in children, and are usually transmitted in food prepared with unwashed hands

Word History and Origins

Origin of rotavirus¹

1974; < Latin rota wheel + virus

Example Sentences

They include Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the co-developer of a rotavirus vaccine.

From Washington Post

After that, we got rotavirus vaccines, pneumococcal vaccines, again, at very, very low prices.

From Fortune

A new study shows the rotavirus vaccine has saved 100,000 hospital visits and nearly $1 billion in medical costs.

From The Daily Beast