Salud Issues
Rotavirus
Outbreak Warning
The Ministerio
de Salud (Health
Ministry) is
advising of an
outbreak of
Rotavirus and is
advising strict
hygiene
conditions in
the home and
workplace to
minimize the
spread.
The warning
comes from
increased cases
of Rotavirus in
Mexico and other
Central American
countries.
Rotavirus is a
genus of
double-stranded
RNA virus in the
family
Reoviridae. It
is the leading
single cause of
severe diarrhea
among infants
and young
children and is
one of several
viruses that
cause infections
commonly known
as stomach flu,
despite having
no relation to
influenza.
Rotavirus is
transmitted by
the faecal-oral
route.
It infects cells
that line the
small intestine
and produces an
enterotoxin,
which induces
gastroenteritis,
leading to
severe diarrhea
and sometimes
death through
dehydration.
Although
rotavirus was
discovered in
1973 and
accounts for up
to 50% of
hospitalizations
for severe
diarrhea in
infants and
children, its
importance is
still not widely
known within the
public health
community,
particularly in
developing
countries.
In addition to
its impact on
human health,
rotavirus also
infects animals,
and is a
pathogen of
livestock.
Public health
campaigns to
combat rotavirus
focus on
providing oral
rehydration
therapy for
infected
children and
vaccination to
prevent the
disease
Signs and
symptoms
Rotavirus
gastroenteritis
is a mild to
severe disease
characterized by
vomiting, watery
diarrhea, and
low-grade fever.
Once a child is
infected by the
virus, there is
an incubation
period of about
two days before
symptoms appear.
Symptoms often
start with
vomiting
followed by four
to eight days of
profuse
diarrhea.
Dehydration is
more common in
rotavirus
infection than
in most of those
caused by
bacterial
pathogens, and
is the most
common cause of
death related to
rotavirus
infection.
Transmission
Rotavirus is
transmitted by
the faecal-oral
route, via
contact with
contaminated
hands, surfaces
and objects, and
possibly by the
respiratory
route. The
feces of an
infected person
can contain more
than 10 trillion
infectious
particles per
gram; only
10–100 of these
are required to
transmit
infection to
another person.
Treatment and
prognosis
Treatment of
acute rotavirus
infection is
nonspecific and
involves
management of
symptoms and,
most
importantly,
maintenance of
hydration. If
untreated,
children can die
from the
resulting severe
dehydration.
Depending on the
severity of
diarrhea,
treatment
consists of oral
rehydration with
plain water,
water plus
salts, or water
plus salts and
sugar. Some
infections are
serious enough
to warrant
hospitalization
where fluids are
given by
intravenous drip
or nasogastric
tube, and the
child's
electrolytes and
blood sugar are
monitored.
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