Rotavirus

Rotavirus is the most common cause of diarrhoea in children. The infection and can be taken care of at home with fluids. Less commonly, your baby will have to be given intravenous fluids to fight severe dehydration. 

Vaccination can help prevent rotavirus infection in your infant. To vaccinate your child against the disease, you can consult the medical practitioners at the Family Medicine Service Line at the Aga Khan University Hospital. For older children and adults — who are not as likely to develop serious symptoms of rotavirus — frequent hand-washing is recommended. The virus infects the intestinal tract of almost all young children by age five. 

This virus can affect your child again but it presents itself as very severe the first time it is contracted. Rotavirus infections spread easily. Outbreaks usually occur in the winter and early spring. Rotavirus infections often spread in settings where many children are together, such as day care centres.

This virus spread through contact with the stool of an infected child. If you change your child’s diaper and then touch the chair and table, the virus may get transmitted there, from where it can be contracted to other children.​​

When to seek expert advise

Inform your doctor at the Internal Medicine Service Line​ at the Aga Khan University Hospital if you or your child shows any of the above symptoms.

Immediately see your doctor if:

• Your child has rectal bleeding
  

• Your child is vomiting
  

• Your child seems disoriented and has lost conscious
  

• Your child seem dehydrated
  

In adults, consult a doctor if:

• You can’t seem to keep fluids down for more than 24 hours
  

• You are vomiting blood
  

• You have rectal bleeding with watery stools
  

• You have signs and symptoms of dehydration
  

The medical team will be able to quickly take action against it to control the symptoms and treat the disease.