Rotavirus is an extremely common and highly contagious infection of the digestive tract. Rotavirus occurs worldwide but mostly it occurs in infants and young children in United States. It is one of the major causes of gastroenteritis among infants and small children. Rotaviruses infect the intestine and are passed in the stool of infected persons. The illness normally lasts 3 to 9 days, and becomes chronic only in immunodeficient children.

It causes an illness of the stomach and intestines which is called as "Gastroenteritis". Rotavirus affects almost every child of age 5 and almost every ethnic group, culture, and economic status. It is a common cause of diarrhea in infants and young children. Rotavirus passes from one family member to another member of a family regardless of age.

Causes of Rotavirus
Rotavirus spreads very easily. Because rotavirus is the name of the virus, people commonly refer to a rotavirus infection as viral gastroenteritis, Stomach flu or Rotavirus gastroenteritis.

• "Group A" rotaviruses, these are wheel-shaped viruses
• Children can spread rotavirus both before and after they develop symptoms.
• The virus can also be transmitted by merely touching a surface or object that has been contaminated by an infected person.
• The virus can be passed from one person to another by touching a hand contaminated by the virus.
• The virus is transmitted by hand-to-mouth contact with stool from an infected person.

Rotavirus is the leading cause of diarrhea in infants and young children in the United States and worldwide.

Signs & Symptoms of Rotavirus
Rotavirus infection usually starts with fever and vomiting, followed by diarrhea. The diarrhea can be mild to severe and generally lasts 3-9 days. Illness usually begins 3 days after exposure.

Children with a rotavirus infection have

• Abdominal cramps
• Cough
• Fever
• Nausea
• Runny nose
• Vomiting
• Watery diarrhea

Sometimes the diarrhea that accompanies a rotavirus infection is so severe that it can lead to dehydration. In severe cases, a child may vomit or have diarrhea more than 20 times in a day. Severe dehydration can lead to death in rare cases, so it is important to recognize and treat this complication of rotavirus infection. Signs of dehydration include:

• Absence of tears when crying
• Dry mouth
• Dry skin
• Extreme thirst
• Irritability
• Lethargy
• Restlessness
• Sunken eyes
• Thirst

The parents should be aware of the symptoms of dehydration that can occur with rotavirus infection or with other serious conditions.

Diagnosis of Rotavirus

• Infection is diagnosed by a laboratory test on a stool sample.
• Strains of rotavirus may be further characterized by special testing with enzyme immunoassay or polymerase chain reaction, but such testing is not commonly available or necessary.
• Doctor may need to test your child's blood or urine sample to confirm that the diarrhea is being caused by rotavirus and not by bacteria.

Preventions of Rotavirus
Vaccination

• However, the vaccine is no longer recommended for use in the United States.  But other than vaccination, there is no effective way to completely eliminate rotavirus infection or its spread.
• RotaTeq is a vaccine to help prevent rotavirus gastroenteritis in infants. It was shown to help protect infants against the most common types of rotavirus.

Washing of hands

• After diapering a child
• After helping a child use the toilet
• After using the toilet
• Before preparing or serving food.

Properly washing of hands with soaps or cleansers does not kill the virus but will help in reducing the spread of infection.

Maintain Hygiene

• To prevent the spread of diarrhea, it is important to maintain strict hygienic practices at home and in day-care centers.
• Parents must remember that proper hand washing is key in preventing the virus from spreading from child to child.

Treatments of Rotavirus
Viral infections are not treatable with antibiotics. Because antibiotics do not work against illnesses caused by viruses, your doctor will not give your child antibiotics to treat a rotavirus infection.

• The most effective therapy would be to encourage sick children to drink plenty of fluids which would be helpful to avoid dehydration.
• An infant or toddler who becomes moderately or severely dehydrated may need to be treated in a hospital.
• Fruit juices and soda should be avoided, because they may exacerbate diarrhea.
• Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS) should be given under the supervision of a doctor
• Small and frequent meals would be helpful in treating nausea and diarrhea.

When to seek Medical Advice

• Call the doctor for advice if your child is showing signs of a rotavirus infection.
• Call immediately if there is any sign of dehydration in you child.
• Immediate medical advice would be recommended in case of emergency.