Context

In order to effectively tackle the menace of diarrhea plaging developing economies including India, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International has commercially launched Rotavac 5D, an oral rotavirus vaccine at virtually one-tenth the cost when compared to private hospitals.

About

• Rotovac 5D has been developed with close coordination with the Department of Biotechnology.
• Earlier, Bharat Biotech had originated ROTAVAC and now they have upgraded their already available oral vaccine to ROTAVAC 5D.
• The roll-out of oral rotavirus vaccine is also the lowest dose-volume rotavirus vaccine in the world.
• Along with the reduction in dosage, they have also made the oral vaccine low cold chain proof. This has resulted in making the vaccine stable at 2-degree to 8-degree Celsius for up to 24 months.
• Globally, rotavirus causes approximately 200,000 deaths and about 2 million hospitalizations annually, mostly in low-income countries.
• Currently, ROTAVAC 5D is being supplied in seven countries including India and 50 more countries have registered for it.

What is rotavirus?

• Rotavirus is a virus that infects the bowels, causing a severe inflammation of the stomach and bowels (known as gastroenteritis). It is a very contagious virus that causes diarrhea.
• Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhea among infants and children throughout the world and causes the death of about 500,000 children worldwide annually.
• The name rotavirus comes from the characteristic wheel-like appearance of the virus when viewed by electron microscopy.

Symptoms of rotavirus Vomiting Black or tarry stools Stools with blood or pus in them Severe fatigue A high fever Irritability Dehydration Abdominal pain

Rotavirus transmission

• Rotavirus is transmitted between hand and mouth contact. If you touch a person or object carrying the virus and then touch your mouth, you could develop the infection.
• Infants and children under 3 are at the highest risk for rotavirus infection.