Rotavirus

Rotavirus is a non‑enveloped virus of the family Reoviridae, characterized by a segmented double‑stranded RNA genome enclosed within a distinctive triple‑layered capsid. First identified in 1973, rotaviruses infect a broad range of mammalian and avian hosts and have since become one of the most extensively studied members of the Reoviridae family. The viral genome consists of approximately 18.5 kb of double‑stranded RNA distributed across 11 segments, providing a powerful model for investigating genome replication, segment assortment, and viral evolution. This unique genome organization, combined with the virus’s replication strategy and diverse host interactions, has established rotavirus as an important system for studying RNA virus biology, viral pathogenesis, and host immune responses.

The rotavirus genome encodes six structural proteins (VP1–VP4, VP6, and VP7) and six non‑structural proteins (NSP1–NSP6), which together orchestrate viral attachment, entry, replication, assembly, and modulation of host cellular pathways. VP4 and VP7 form the outer capsid and serve as major determinants of viral antigenicity and strain classification, while the non‑structural proteins play essential roles in genome replication, viroplasm formation, immune evasion, and pathogenesis. Owing to its well‑defined molecular biology, segmented genome architecture, and extensive genetic diversity, rotavirus remains a central subject of research in virology, immunology, vaccine development, and diagnostic assay design.