Rotavirus infection (intestinal flu, rotavirus gastroenteritis) is an acute infectious disease caused by rotavirus.
Content
What is rotavirus?
The virus is the most common cause of severe diarrhea in infants and children.
This intestinal infection is highly contagious. It can also spread very quickly in the winter months, often leading to an epidemic. The name rotavirus infection is based on the external resemblance of the virus to a wheel (Latin: Rota = wheel).
Children between the ages of six months and two years suffer from it especially often, since they have not yet developed antibodies against rotavirus.
How does infection occur?
The infection is transmitted very easily; already 10 viruses in a child’s body are enough to cause the disease.
Infection occurs when pathogenic rotaviruses enter the human intestine. The virus quickly invades the epithelial cells of the small intestine, disrupting the synthesis of enzymes and transport processes in them. As a result, membrane digestion and absorption are disrupted. Diarrhea develops .
The main source of infection is a sick person. The disease is transmitted by the fecal-oral route. The infection can enter the body through dirty hands, door handles, contaminated food and water.
Rotavirus infection is especially dangerous for large groups, since rotavirus is released in the patient’s feces in very large quantities and persists in the external environment for a long time.
Therefore, great attention should be paid to the health of catering workers.
To the question of how long the disease lasts, doctors have a clear answer. A sick person is contagious as long as the virus is shed in the stool, usually 8 to 10 days.
Rotavirus infection has also been found in domestic animals. But this factor does not significantly affect the frequency of human infection.
Symptoms
In adults, the disease can be virtually asymptomatic with minor bowel disorders. Vivid symptoms are typical for children.
After infection, until the first symptoms appear (the incubation period of rotavirus infection) takes from one to three days. During this time, the virus multiplies and spreads in the body. Rotavirus usually begins acutely, with watery diarrhea and vomiting. Diarrhea intensifies over several hours and after 2-3 days takes on a characteristic appearance - gray-yellow and clay-like. It is often accompanied by severe abdominal pain. Children, less often adults, experience high fever.
As the disease progresses, the stool becomes watery, yellow or green, up to 15-20 times a day. This disease can also be recognized through accompanying symptoms. As a rule, redness of the throat, runny nose, cough, and pain in the extremities appear. The whites of the eyes and the corners of the eyes are red, and red “networks” of blood vessels can be seen on the whites. The stomach is soft. Palpation reveals pain in the upper abdomen (in the projection of the stomach), around the navel and in the projection of the colon . The acute period lasts from 2 to 7 days.
The recovery period is 4-5 days.
Consequences
The combination of diarrhea and fever is very dangerous. Due to diarrhea and vomiting, the body loses a lot of fluid, as well as important minerals such as electrolytes. In most cases, the patient has no appetite at all during illness. Fever also causes water loss. In particular, if a child or infant is sick with rotavirus infection, then it is necessary to strictly control fluid intake. As a rule, young children require hospitalization.
Severe disease is rare and can lead to dehydration.
Diagnostics
A clear sign of the disease is a combination of cough, runny nose and diarrhea. Colonoscopy shows either no changes or inflammatory changes in the colon mucosa.
When making a diagnosis, it is necessary to exclude diseases such as dysentery , salmonellosis, yersiniosis and foodborne illnesses .
Laboratory diagnosis of rotavirus gastroenteritis is based on the detection of antigen in feces, which appears in the first days of the disease, or the detection of antibodies in the blood serum on the 12-15th day of the disease.
Treatment
Treatment of rotavirus infection is purely symptomatic. Direct control of viruses with drugs (antiviral drugs) is impossible. Particular attention should be paid to ensuring that the patient drinks enough fluids.
Lack of fluid is life-threatening, especially in children.
For drinking, mostly non-carbonated mineral water, tea and diluted fruit juices are suitable. Fatty drinks such as milk or alcohol should be completely avoided. If a lot of fluid is lost, the water balance is restored with the help of saline solutions.
The body is detoxified (glucose-salt solution) and compensated for functional intestinal disorders.
Antibiotics cannot be used for rotavirus infection. They only help with bacterial infections, not viral diseases. You should also not take anti-diarrhea medications that suppress peristalsis, as this will interfere with the removal of toxins from the body.
Antibiotics are prescribed only for the treatment of complications and concomitant diseases.
Diet
During the acute period of the disease, a gentle diet is prescribed. Strict adherence to diet 4b .
After the acute period, you should gradually switch to a normal diet, only after using the 4b diet until the stool is completely normalized.
You can use home remedies .
Prevention
During rotavirus infection, sanitary and hygienic standards must be strictly observed. There are special disinfectants that can be used against rotavirus. During the acute phase of illness, you should regularly clean everything you or your child uses.
- Children's toys, dishes and changing table, as well as all items used, should be disinfected.
- Wash your hands regularly and avoid contact with other people to avoid transmitting rotavirus infection.
- The clothes of a sick person should be washed separately at a water temperature of at least 60 degrees.
- It is recommended to use rubber gloves when handling the patient’s belongings.
- Clean the toilet and washbasin thoroughly.
- Disinfect all door handles.
Forecast
Mortality from rotavirus in economically developed countries is low, accounting for about 0.1 percent of all deaths from infections. Almost half of all children under five years of age require hospitalization. Rotavirus infection in adults is milder; the need for hospitalization arises only when there is a need for intravenous fluid administration.
Most often, infection with rotavirus infection occurs in large groups where local epidemics break out - in particular, in public institutions, schools, kindergartens or hospitals.
In countries where there is not yet a high standard of medical care, rotavirus infection in both adults and children is much more dangerous. According to WHO, more than 100 million children become ill with rotavirus infection every year in countries such as Africa, Asia and Latin America. International organizations estimate that between 350,000 and 600,000 children under the age of five in these countries die from rotavirus infection.
Vaccination against rotavirus infection
A vaccine against rotavirus infection has now been developed. Doctors recommend vaccinating children at an early age, from 14 weeks. However, vaccination does not provide a 100% guarantee against the disease. Compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards and a strict attitude towards food are always in the foreground.
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