A 3-day course of the drug nitazoxanide can significantly reduce the duration of severe rotavirus diarrhoea in hospitalised children, say researchers [1]. Rotavirus infection is a major cause of childhood death in developing countries.

A group of 50 children admitted to the Cairo University Children's Hospital in Egypt with severe rotavirus diarrhoea were given oral rehydration and either nitazoxanide or a placebo, twice a day for three days. Those on nitazoxanide recovered after an average of 31 hours — less than half the 75 hours it took the placebo group to recover. Nitazoxanide is a licensed drug for diarrhoea treatment in the United States and is also widely available in Latin America and India.

Although two new rotavirus vaccines could be available in the next 2–3 years [2], the researchers believe there is still a need for an effective treatment of rotavirus infection - in addition to oral rehydration - when it does occur.

[1] Rossignol, J-F. … [et al.]. Effect of nitazoxanide for treatment of severe rotavirus diarrhoea: randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet, online 13 Jun 2006. DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68852-1

[2] Diarrhoea: rotavirus vaccines show potential for developing countries, Source Weekly, 26 Jan 2006

Contact: Prof Jean-François Rossignol, Romark Institute for Medical Research, Tampa, FL33607, USA, jrossignol@romark.com

Source: Hepeng Jia, SciDev.Net, 14 Jun 2006

Tags: water-related diseases