 Studies published between 1986 and 1999 indicated that rotavirus causes is almost equal to 22 percent, range 17 percent to 28 percent, of childhood diarrhea hospitalizations. From 2000 to 2004, this proportion increased to 39 percent, range 29 percent to 45 percent. Application of this proportion to the recent World Health Organization estimates of diarrhea-related childhood deaths gave an estimated 611,000, range 454,000 to 705,000, rotavirus-related deaths. This article was authored by Omesh D. Parashar, Christopher J. Gibson, Joseph Espersee, and others.