Rotavirus: what it is, symptoms, transmission and treatment

Rotavirus is an intestinal infection that causes severe diarrhea and vomiting, especially in babies and young children between 6 months and 2 years of age. Rotavirus infection is called rotavirus and symptoms usually appear suddenly and last about 8 to 10 days.

It is important that rotavirus infection is identified and treated quickly, as severe diarrhea and vomiting can increase the baby’s risk of becoming dehydrated. Furthermore, as diarrhea is very acidic, the baby’s intimate area can become very red and more prone to diaper rash.

Therefore, it is recommended to increase fluid consumption and not give the child foods or medicines that constrict the intestine before the first 5 days of diarrhea because it is necessary for the virus to be eliminated through feces, in addition to being recommended to remove the diaper after each episode. of diarrhea and wash the baby’s intimate area well with water and moisturizing soap before putting on a clean diaper.

Main symptoms

The main symptoms of rotavirus are:

• Vomiting;
• Intense diarrhea, with the smell of rotten eggs;
• High fever between 39 and 40ºC;
• Weight loss;
• Dor abdominal;
• Runny nose;
• Cough, in some cases,
• Redness and rash in the child’s intimate area, due to intense diarrhea.

Rotavirus symptoms appear suddenly and can last up to 10 days. When intense diarrhea and vomiting are not properly treated, there is a greater risk of dehydration, which can be identified through some symptoms, such as sunken eyes, decreased amount of urine, dry skin, crying without tears and cracked lips, for example.

Read too: 10 signs of dehydration in babies and children

How to confirm the diagnosis

The diagnosis of rotavirus infection is usually made by a pediatrician by evaluating symptoms, but a stool test may also be ordered to confirm the presence of the virus.

Make an appointment with your nearest pediatrician using the following tool to investigate whether your child’s symptoms are indicative of rotavirus infection:

How do you catch rotavirus

Rotavirus transmission occurs mainly through contact with the feces of an infected child. The child can infect other children before the onset of symptoms and up to 2 months after the infection has been controlled. The virus can survive for several days outside the body and is very resistant to soaps and disinfectants.

In addition to being transmitted through contact with contaminated feces, rotavirus can also be transmitted through contact between an infected person and a healthy person, through contact with contaminated surfaces or through ingestion of water or food contaminated with rotavirus. .

How the treatment is carried out

Treatment for rotavirus infection must be guided by the pediatrician, who usually recommends some measures to ensure that the child does not become dehydrated, as there is no specific treatment for this infection. Therefore, the use of anti-inflammatory and analgesic medications may be recommended to alleviate symptoms. The use of antidiarrheal medications is not recommended, as this makes it more difficult to eliminate the virus.

It is also important that children are offered more liquids, such as water and fruit juice, for example, to reduce the risk of dehydration. In addition, the child should have a light diet, such as soups or thin baby food to ensure that it provides enough vitamins, nutrients and minerals to promote faster recovery. However, it is important to offer liquids and food in small quantities so that the child does not vomit immediately afterwards.

Measures must also be adopted to reduce the risk of infection, such as always washing your hands after using the bathroom and before preparing food, in addition to taking personal and domestic hygiene care, not using water from rivers, streams or wells that are possibly contaminated and protect food and kitchen areas against animals.

Signs of improvement

Signs of improvement usually appear after the 5th day, when episodes of diarrhea and vomiting begin to subside. Little by little the child begins to become more active and is more interested in playing and talking, which may indicate that the concentration of the virus is decreasing and that is why the child is becoming cured.

The child can return to school or daycare after spending 24 hours eating normally, without any episodes of diarrhea or vomiting.

Rotavirus vaccine

The rotavirus vaccine serves to prevent serious rotavirus infection and is recommended for all babies from 6 weeks of age, with the first dose being administered by 3 months of age.

Even after administering the vaccine, it is possible for the child to become infected with rotavirus, however the disease that can develop is milder, with a lower risk of dehydration. See more about the rotavirus vaccine.