Group B rotavirus, also called adult diarrhea rotavirus or ADRV, has caused major epidemics of severe diarrhea affecting thousands of persons of all ages in China. Group C rotavirus has been associated with rare and sporadic cases of diarrhea in children in many countries. However, the first outbreaks were reported from Japan and England. Symptoms often start with vomiting followed by 4-8 days of diarrhea. Temporary lactose intolerance may occur.
Recovery is usually complete.
However, severe diarrhea without fluid and electrolyte replacement may result in severe diarrhea and death. Association with other enteric pathogens may play a role in the severity of the disease. The virus has not been isolated from any food associated with an outbreak, and no satisfactory method is available for routine analysis of food. However, it should be possible to apply procedures that have been used to detect the virus in water and in clinical specimens, such as enzyme immunoassays, gene probing, and PCR amplification to food analysis. A rotavirus diarrhea are common among hospitalized infants, young children attending day care centers, and elder persons in nursing homes.