Pioneer in fight against child virus wins top science prize

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Pioneer in fight against child virus wins top science prize

By Bridie Smith

Until 40 years ago the cause of one of the most common types of gastro was a mystery. But the consequences of infection were obvious.

In developed and developing countries alike, babies and young children died from acute diarrhoea, which was sometimes called cholera infantum.

Ruth Bishop has won the Florey Medal for her role in the discovery of the rotavirus.

Ruth Bishop has won the Florey Medal for her role in the discovery of the rotavirus.Credit: Jason South

''It was similar to cholera in that there was a huge outpouring of fluid and electrolytes,'' said Murdoch Children's Research Institute microbiologist Ruth Bishop.

''And it's that loss that put the child's life at risk.''

It was Professor Bishop's pioneering work ''following the clues'' as she described it on Monday that led to her discovering the cause of the potentially fatal infection, which she first cited in a black and white electron microscope image in 1973.

Using samples from Royal Children's Hospital patients, Professor Bishop and colleagues from Melbourne University were able to link the damaged cells observed in the lining of the gut with the acute gastro symptoms that left children dangerously dehydrated and at risk of death.

''Children can't lose more than 10 per cent of their body weight in fluid without being close to death,'' she said. Her identification of the culprit - a new virus called rotavirus because of the round shape of virus particles - resulted in global control of the virus via two oral vaccines now licensed in 100 countries.

In Australia, the number of children with the condition admitted to hospital fell from 10,000 a year before the vaccine's arrival in 2007 to about 2300 now.

On Monday night, four decades after the discovery was published in The Lancet, Professor Bishop became the first woman to be awarded the prestigious $50,000 CSL Florey Medal at a dinner in Canberra.

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''It's nice to be recognised,'' she said. ''It is an honour.''

Awarded biennially to an Australian researcher for significant achievements in biomedical science or human health, past winners include Nobel prizewinner Barry Marshall, Graeme Clark and Ian Frazer.

Despite having retired, Professor Bishop still comes into the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Parkville once or twice a week.

A mentor and supporter of young scientists, she has maintained a keen interest in the next stage of research including the development of a vaccine to be administered in the first few days of life, as opposed to the first six to eight weeks.

Earlier vaccination is seen as the key to tackling the infection in developing countries, where rotavirus is still responsible for up to 50,000 deaths a year.

''When they are born is when most of the children in developing countries will see a medical doctor,'' said Murdoch Institute rotavirus group co-head Carl Kirkwood.

''So that's the window we want to target.''

A new Australian rotavirus vaccine for newborns, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is currently being trialled in New Zealand and Indonesia.

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