Timeline
1951--Isoloation of a virus which would later be classified as a
reovirus (type 3) was made by Stanley, Dorman, and Ponsford from a young
aboriginal child.
1953--An ECHO 10 virus, which would later become the prototypic reovirus
serotype 1 strain, was isolated from a rectal swab taken from a healthy
child.
1959--Proposal by Sabin that a group of previously classified members of
the echovirus 10 group be reclassified in a new family. He proposed the
name reovirus (respiratory, enteric, orphan virus) as the virus was not
known to cause any known disease state.
1960-- An outbreak of infection with T1 reoviurses among children in a
welfare institution in Washington D.C. was documented by Rosen and
co-workers.
1960s--Unique virion of the RNA of the Reoviridae family was discovered.
Early 1970s--Orboviruses, which were previouldy classified as
"unclassified arboviruses," were included in the Reoviridae family.
1973-- Bishop and co-workers discovered the 70 nm human rotavirus and its
association with severe diarrhea in infants and young children.
Mid-late 1970s--Rotaviruses also became part of the Reoviridae family as
it was
realized that they had a segmented dsRNA genome. Three other genera which
infect insects and plants (Cypovirus, Phytoreovirus, Fijivirus) which also
have dsRNA became included in the Reoviridae family.
1978--Oral Rehydration therapy (ORT) was found to be useful in treating
and
preventing most of the deaths due to Rotavirus. Previous to this treatment
for severe Rotavirus was intravenous electrolyte replacement, a costly and
largely unavailabe treatment to those in need. The World Health
Organization (WHO) began promoting it extensively.
1998--Found Rotaviruses cause as many as one million hospitalizations and
500 deaths per year in the US.
1997--A rotavirus ELISA was developed by Robert Yolken and co-workers.
1998--A tetravalent vaccine was approved by the FDA for use in infants.
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