A nonhuman primate model of human rotavirus infection has been developed using a new rotavirus strain isolated from nonhuman primates at the Tulane center. The virus was characterized as serotype G3, subgroup 1, genotype P and designated the Tulane University Cincinnati (Children’s) Hospital (TUCH) strain. The rotavirus model using juvenile macaques is being used to develop new vaccines and to elucidate the mechanism(s) of how rotavirus evades the host innate response, and adaptive immunity to further characterize the correlates of rotavirus protection.
