Passive immunisation of children with bovine colostrum containing antibodies to human rotavirus.

The efficacy of a 10-day course of bovine colostrum with high antibody titre against the four known human rotavirus serotypes in protecting children against rotavirus infection was examined in patients admitted to hospital. Children aged 3 to 15 months were blocked in pairs according to ward accommodation (ie, isolation or open area). Each block contained 1 treated and 1 control child. The allocation to treatment or control (an artificial infant formula) was randomised. 9 of 65 control children but none of 55 treated children acquired rotavirus infection during the treatment period (p less than 0.001). The importance of protecting against rotavirus infection was highlighted by the fact that parents of symptomatic rotavirus-positive children sought medical attention seven times more often than did parents of symptomatic rotavirus-negative children (p less than 0.05).