Rotavirus infection may turn on type 1 diabetes

Rotavirus infection may play a role in the development of type 1 diabetes, according to a front matter article published October 10 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Leonard C. Harrison of the University of Melbourne in Australia, and colleagues.

Rotavirus remains the major cause of infantile gastroenteritis worldwide, although the advent of vaccination has substantially decreased associated mortality. Following the recent introduction of rotavirus vaccination, there has been a 15% decrease in the incidence of type 1 diabetes in Australian children under four years of age, suggesting that rotavirus vaccination could contribute to the primary prevention of this autoimmune disease. This finding complements human and animal studies implicating rotavirus in the development of type 1 diabetes in genetically susceptible children.

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