Community burden and transmission of acute gastroenteritis caused by norovirus and rotavirus in the Netherlands (RotaFam): a prospective household-based cohort study
Study on rotavirus and norovirus disease burden and transmission in high-income, endemic setting provides insight into natural epidemiology of viral acute gastroenteritis and could inform transmission models and vaccine policy decisions & serve as baseline for impact evaluations.
Source:
The Lancet Infectious Diseases
SPS commentary:
A commentary notes that the high communicability of rotaviruses and noroviruses shown in the study also sheds light on the potential indirect protection that vaccines could confer. It suggests that by preventing acute gastroenteritis or reducing the severity of symptoms, vaccination might afford indirect protection beyond the immunised age group through decreases in community transmission. It calls for further studies to better understand factors influencing the transmission of viral gastroenteritis, and how these factors might affect vaccine effectiveness.