Rotavirus and childhood diarrhoea and vomiting

Signs of dehydration include:

• thirst
• little or no urine
• dark urine
• dry, flushed skin
• dry eyes
• dry mouth
• headache
• clammy hands and feet
• sunken eyes
• dizziness
• confusion and irritability
• sunken, soft spot/fontanel (in babies only)

The good news is that once children have been infected, they will usually become immune to rotavirus, so future infections, if any, will be less severe. Rotavirus rarely affects adults as immunity to the virus lasts a long time.

How Rotavirus spreads
Rotavirus spreads easily and is highly infectious, which can make it difficult to control. Infectious virus has been found in stools and vomit, so nappy changing and the mess of diarrhoea and vomiting offers a prime opportunity for it to spread. Just to complicate matters, the virus can be present up to two days before a child shows any sign of infection.

Rotavirus is most common during the winter months and it can live for days outside the body allowing it to spread through contact with objects. Toys, nursery equipment, even door handles, can all carry the virus. This means that children who are regularly exposed to groups of other children, such as at nurseries, children's wards or even the family home, are at risk of passing on the infection.

Good hygiene such as frequent hand cleaning, washing of clothing and bed linen and disinfecting toys and door handles are the most important way of limiting the spread of rotavirus. However, even with good standards of hygiene, it spreads very easily, so if your child becomes infected, it is no reflection on how clean you are.

If your child has the symptoms of rotavirus gastroenteritis, keep them away from other children until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.

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