Rotavirus hits the Paynters
Last night when Greg and I put Tripp to bed, he was his normal happy little self, but at 10:20, Tripp woke himself up by projectile vomiting. This continued followed by constant diarrhea the ENTIRE night and finally at 8:30 the next morning, we took him to the ER. What we thought was the flu, did in fact test positive for the rotavirus, even though he has been vaccinated for this virus. GBMC said that they have seen this very frequently lately. Little man fought us to get his IV, but immediately after he felt well enough to fall right to sleep. There is no way of knowing where he got this, he could have acquired it anywhere and from anything. We are keeping our fingers crossed that Baby Baxter does not get it.
About Rotavirus: from kidshealth.org
Almost all kids have had a rotavirus infection by the time they're 5 years old. Rotavirus is one of the most common causes of diarrhea, and severe infection (rotavirus gastroenteritis) is the leading cause of severe, dehydrating diarrhea in infants and young children.
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.
Although these infections cause relatively few U.S. deaths, diarrhea caused by rotavirus causes more than half a million deaths worldwide every year. This is especially true in developing countries, where nutrition and health care are not optimal.
Signs and Symptoms
Children with a rotavirus infection have fever, nausea, and vomiting, often followed by abdominal cramps and frequent, watery diarrhea. Kids may also have a cough and runny nose. As with all viruses, though, some rotavirus infections cause few or no symptoms, especially in adults.
Sometimes the diarrhea that accompanies a rotavirus infection is so severe that it can quickly lead to dehydration. Signs of dehydration include: thirst, irritability, restlessness, lethargy, sunken eyes, a dry mouth and tongue, dry skin, fewer trips to the bathroom to urinate, and (in infants) a dry diaper for several hours.
Contagiousness
In the United States, rotavirus infection outbreaks are common during the winter and spring months. It is particularly a problem in child-care centers and children's hospitals because rotavirus infection is very contagious.
The virus passes in the stool of infected persons before and after they have symptoms of the illness. Kids can become infected if they put their fingers in their mouths after touching something that has been contaminated. Usually this happens when kids don't wash their hands often enough, especially before eating and after using the toilet.
People who care for children, including health-care and child-care workers, can also spread the virus, especially if they do not wash their hands after changing diapers.
Prevention
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommends that the rotavirus vaccine be included in the lineup of routine immunizations given to all infants. The recommendation calls for three doses by mouth at around 2, 4, and 6 months of age.
The vaccine, called RotaTeq, has been found to prevent approximately 75% of cases of rotavirus infection and 98% of severe cases. Your doctor will have the most current information.
A previous rotavirus vaccine was taken off the market in 1999 because it was linked to an increased risk for intussusception, a type of bowel obstruction, in young infants. In more than 70,000 children studied, RotaTeq has not been found to have this increased risk.
Frequent hand washing is the best tool to limit the spread of rotavirus infection. Kids who are infected should stay home from child-care groups until their diarrhea has ended. In hospitals, rotavirus outbreaks are controlled by isolating infected patients and ordering strict hand-washing procedures.
Professional Treatment
An infant or toddler who becomes moderately or severely dehydrated may need to be treated in a hospital with intravenous (IV) fluids to bring the body's fluid and salt levels back to normal. Most older kids can be treated at home.
Your doctor may need to test your child's blood, urine, or stool to confirm that the diarrhea is being caused by rotavirus and not by bacteria. Because antibiotics do not work against illnesses caused by viruses, your doctor will not give your child antibiotics to treat a rotavirus infection.
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