Passive immunity against rotavirus in infants.

Passive immunity against a variety of gastrointestinal infections, using orally administered human antibodies, has been tried in a number of clinical trials. Recently, antibodies from other species such as cows and chickens, which have shown efficacy in experimental animal systems, have also been tried in humans. This review summarizes published data on the use of immunoglobulin-containing preparations for prophylaxis and therapy against rotavirus infections in infants and children, and directions for their future use are suggested.