Molecular Genotyping of Irish Rotavirus Strains

Rotavirus is the primary etiological agent of gastroenteritis in infants and young children worldwide (1 ). In developing countries, it is estimated that rotavirus is responsible for one-third of all diarrhea-associated hospitalizations and 873,000 deaths annually (2 ,3 ). In industrialized countries, where mortality from rotavirus is low, infection is widespread, and nearly all children experience an episode of rotavirus diarrhea in the first 3–5 yr of life (4 ,5 ).