Microbiota do not restrict rotavirus infection of colon.

IMPORTANCE: Alterations of the gut microbiome can have significant effects on gastrointestinal homeostasis leading to various diseases and symptoms. Increased understanding of rotavirus infection in relation to the microbiota can provide better understanding on how microbiota can be used for clinical prevention as well as treatment strategies. Our volumetric 3D imaging data show that antibiotic treatment and its consequent reduction of the microbial load does not alter the extent of rotavirus infection of enterocytes in the small intestine and that restriction factors other than bacteria limit the infection of colonocytes.

Viral Gastroenteritis: Sickness Symptoms and Behavioral Responses.

Viral infections have a major impact on physiology and behavior. The clinical symptoms of human rotavirus and norovirus infection are primarily diarrhea, fever, and vomiting, but several other sickness symptoms, such as nausea, loss of appetite, and stress response are never or rarely discussed. These physiological and behavioral changes can be considered as having evolved to reduce the spread of the pathogen and increase the chances of survival of the individual as well as the collective. The mechanisms underlying several sickness symptoms have been shown to be orchestrated by the brain, specifically, the hypothalamus. In this perspective, we have described how the central nervous system contributes to the mechanisms underlying the sickness symptoms and behaviors of these infections. Based on published findings, we propose a mechanistic model depicting the role of the brain in fever, nausea, vomiting, cortisol-induced stress, and loss of appetite.