An Inside Look at Rotavirus
By Julie Connolly, Triplet Mom 
Originally printed in March, 2006

What is Rotavirus?
Rotavirus is very contagious and potentially serious virus that causes 
vomiting and diarrhea, especially in babies and young children.  According 
to the Kids Health for Parents website, “Rotavirus infections are 
responsible for approximately 3 million cases of diarrhea and 55,000 
hospitalizations for diarrhea and dehydration in children under 5-years old 
each year in the United States.”  Having talked to other moms of multiples 
whose babies were also hospitalized for Rotavirus, I thought others would 
want to know more about this insidious virus.  

What are the symptoms?
First, it is important to note that not all children—including multiples—react 
the same way to Rotavirus.  All, however, have vomiting followed by diarrhea.  
The vomiting will stop after 2 to 3 days, while the diarrhea can be mild 
to severe and generally lasts 3 to 9 days.  Some children will also have 
a fever and/or abdominal pain.  Concern arises when the child starts to 
become dehydrated, which can occur very quickly.  Serious dehydration, 
which Rotavirus is known to cause, can put your child in the hospital.  
Signs of dehydration include:
*Lethargy
*Dry, cool skin
*Absence of tears when crying
*Dry or sticky mouth
*Sunken eyes or sunken fontanels (the soft spot on the head of infants)
*Extreme thirst
*Irritability
*Restlessness

In up to 5% of Rotavirus cases, children under the age of 2 may also 
develop seizures.  This is not a widely known symptom.  If your child 
gets seizures while sick with a gastro-intestinal illness, be sure to 
get his/her stool tested to determine if s/he has Rotavirus, and then 
consult a pediatric neurologist.

How is it spread?
Rotavirus passes in the stool of infected persons before and after they 
have symptoms of the illness, so WASH YOUR HANDS after every diaper 
change and trip to the restroom.   Since the virus lingers on surfaces 
for many days, however, it is nearly impossible to prevent its spread, 
which is why most children become infected with Rotavirus by age 3.  You 
may not have known your kids’ projectile vomiting and non-stop diarrhea 
spell (or spells – there are more than one Rotavirus strain – ugh!) had 
a name; trust me, in this case, ignorance is bliss.

Rotavirus and the Future
There are two Rotavirus vaccines that recently reported successful trial 
results.  They hope to receive FDA approval for use in the U.S. soon.  
The one by Merck has received preliminary approval by a panel of FDA advisors. 

Some websites with more information on Rotavirus:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/rotavirus.html
http://www.rotavirusinfo.com/ 
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/gastro/rotavirus.htm 
http://www.medicinenet.com/rotavirus/article.htm 

Standard disclaimer statement:  I am not a health professional.   
As always, consult your doctor.