Long-term production of rotavirus antibody and protection against reinfection following a single infection of neonatal mice with murine rotavirus

It has been found that mice infected with murine rotavirus can be protected against subsequent murine rotavirus infection for up to 2 months. It was also reported that protection against rotavirus infection in adult mice correlated with serum and stool rotavirus IgA titers. The present study was conducted to determine the duration of rotavirus antibody production and protection against rotavirus infection in this mouse model and its possible correlation with rotavirus antibody titers. It was found that protection of mice against subsequent infection following a single oral immunization with the murine rotavirus strain EDIM was 100% effective for at least 14 months, most of the lifetime of a mouse. During this period, serum and stool rotavirus antibody titers which included serum IgA, IgG, and neutralizing antibody to EDIM, as well as stool IgA, remained elevated. Of particular note, stool rotavirus IgA titers gradually decreased to levels that were approximately 10% of their peak at 1 month after infection but did not decrease further, while serum rotavirus IgG titers continuously increased during the 14 months of the study. Serum rotavirus IgA titers varied from month to month but overall remained relatively constant throughout the 14-month period. Thus, both serum and stool rotavirus antibody was retained at substantial levels long after a single rotavirus immunization in the absence of reexposure, and mice remained protected against reinfection.