What is Rotavirus Acute Diarrhea? Symptoms and how to avoid

Diarrhea caused by rotavirus infection is not uncommon, but unlike other causes of diarrhea, rotavirus infection can cause death in children from severe dehydration.

Therefore, knowing the causes, symptoms and prevention is something that every parent needs to know to protect their children. Join Tnhelearning.edu.vn to learn more about the above issues through the following article.

See more: What to do with diarrhea? 6 effective home remedies for diarrhea

What is Rotavirus Acute Diarrhea?

This is an acute diarrheal disease caused by a virus called Rota , this virus was first discovered in 1972. By 1995, Rota was divided into 7 groups named after the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, of which only group A is the most contagious to humans and groups B and C, respectively.

What is Rotavirus Acute Diarrhea?

It is group A that is most contagious and most common in children at least once , adults can also get it, but the symptoms will be milder. Accordingly, young children will be prone to vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, even dehydration, leading to death if they are not treated and cared for promptly when sick.

Causes of acute diarrhea caused by Rotavirus

Rotavirus has only a host, the only reservoir of infection is from person to person , rotaviruses in animals will not be transmitted to humans. Specifically, Rota virus will be transmitted mainly through the fecal-oral route , there are also some cases of respiratory transmission. Stools of sick or healthy people carrying rotavirus can contaminate water, food and other items.

Causes of acute diarrhea caused by Rotavirus

The virus can survive in the environment for many hours on solid surfaces, objects and even on the body, especially the hands , can even be transmitted when living in feces for a week and only inactivated at temperature. above 45 degrees Celsius or use EDTA (ethylendiamintetracetic acid).

Some reasons for the high increase in acute diarrhea caused by Rota virus include:

• Direct, indirect contact with disease sources from drinking water, food, objects, … infected with Rota virus.
• Feeding babies with bottles , eating and drinking are not hygienic.
• Do not wash your hands after using the toilet, before preparing food and before feeding children.
• Improper handling of feces and waste containing Rota virus also easily spreads the disease.

Symptoms of acute diarrhea caused by Rotavirus

In the North of Vietnam, the disease will occur in winter to spring , while in the South with hot and humid climate, it occurs all year round, especially from March to September.

Symptoms of acute diarrhea caused by Rotavirus

Children under 2 years of age are the most susceptible, within the first 5 years of life, most children are likely to be infected with this virus. When infected, there will be an incubation period of 1-2 days , then some clinical symptoms will appear such as:

• Vomiting and Diarrhea: Profuse vomiting occurs about 6-12 hours before diarrhea and lasts for 2-3 days , then gradually subsides and diarrhea begins.
• Loose stools: When children have diarrhea, their stools are only watery , the difference compared to bacterial diarrhea is that the stools are sauerkraut green, viscous but not bloody . Children can have bowel movements more than 20 times a day, lasting from 3-9 days and gradually decreasing .
• Dehydration: Due to repeated vomiting and diarrhea, children easily lose water, leading to dry lips, dry skin, dry tongue, little urine, … if not taken care of in time , they can have a heart attack, death.
• There are also some symptoms such as: Weight loss, fever, cough, runny nose, abdominal pain, …

How to treat acute diarrhea caused by Rotavirus

Diarrhea caused by rotavirus can not be relieved by antibiotics , with mild cases that do not go away, it can go away on its own after 3-4 days . However, you should take your child to a medical facility or hospital for examination if diarrhea persists, and at the same time note a few things:

• Give your child plenty of cooled boiled water, vegetable broth, non-carbonated mineral water , to replenish water and electrolytes.
• Give your child a nutritious meal so that he or she still has enough energy. For breastfed babies, it is necessary to thoroughly clean bottles, nipples, and feeding equipment.
• Do not give children anti-diarrheal medicine because it only works to prevent feces from being excreted, but cannot kill the virus.

How to treat acute diarrhea caused by Rotavirus

How to prevent acute diarrhea caused by Rotavirus

In the prevention of rotavirus diarrhea, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• According to recommendations from the World Health Organization, children should be given Rota vaccine prophylaxis (RotaTeq from Meck and Rotarix from Glaxo Smith Kline) when the child is 2 months old.
• You need to ensure the hygiene of water as well as safe food, do not eat raw meat, wash vegetables and fruits before eating . At the same time, you should guide and educate children on hygienic eating habits , washing hands before eating and after going to the toilet.

How to prevent acute diarrhea caused by Rotavirus

• Eating utensils for children should be cleaned regularly , especially nursing mothers should also pay attention to hygiene, disinfection, and sterilization of items that come in contact with sick people.
• The patient’s feces should be handled well, not used to fertilize plants.
• Children’s toys and personal items also need to be cleaned regularly.

Above is information about the characteristics and causes of diarrhea caused by Rota virus, as well as treatment and prevention methods that parents should know. Hope the article will be useful to you!

Source: Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company, vimec.com

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