It is mainly prevalent during the cold season and is generally transmitted through the faecal-oral route. Rotavirus particles were spherical with a diameter of 70 ~ 75nm. After negative staining, the shape of the virus was observed under electron microscope. The rotavirus genome is about 18kb in length and consists of 11 segments of double-stranded RNA encoding six structural proteins (VP1-4, VP6, and VP7) and five to six non-structural proteins (NSP1 to NSP5/6). According to the serotype of inner capsid protein VP6, HRV was divided into A ~ G7 groups. HRV infection in group A mainly caused diarrhea in infants, and HRV infection in group B caused diarrhea in adults. After HRV infection, the body can produce specific IgM and IgG antibodies. Positive IgM indicates current infection, positive IgG indicates past infection. Rotavirus antibody assay can be used to diagnose the disease of rotavirus infection.

The normal diagnosis of rotavirus infection is after the diagnosis of gastroenteritis and severe diarrhea. Most children admitted to the hospital with gastroenteritis are tested for rotavirus A. Rotavirus A is specifically diagnosed by using enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) to identify the virus in the patient’s stool.