What is rotavirus?
Rotavirus infection is an infection of the digestive tract. It is the most common cause of severe diarrhea in infants and young children in the United States. What is the infectious agent that causes rotavirus infection? Infection is caused by group A rotaviruses, which are wheel-shaped viruses. Where is rotavirus found? Rotavirus occurs worldwide. Rotaviruses infect the intestine and are passed in the stool of infected persons. How do people get rotavirus infection? Rotavirus spreads very easily. The virus is transmitted by hand-to-mouth contact with stool from an infected person. The virus can be passed from one person to another by touching a hand contaminated by the virus. The virus can also be transmitted by merely touching a surface or object that has been contaminated by an infected person. The virus then enters the body through contact with the mouth. Children can spread rotavirus both before and after they develop symptoms. What are the signs and symptoms of rotavirus infectio
Rotavirus is a virus that infects the bowels. It is the most common cause of severe diarrhea among infants and children throughout the world and causes the death of about 600,000 children worldwide annually. The name rotavirus comes from the characteristic wheel-like appearance of the virus when viewed by electron microscopy (the name rotavirus is derived from the Latin rota, meaning “wheel”). Almost all children have become infected with rotavirus by their third birthday. Repeat infections with different viral strains are possible, and most children have several episodes of rotavirus infection in the first years of life. After several infections with different strains of the virus, children acquire immunity to rotavirus. Children between the ages of 6 and 24 months are at greatest risk for developing severe disease from rotavirus infection. Adults sometimes become infected, but the resulting illness is usually mild. Each year in the U.S.
Rotavirus is the most common culprit behind severe diarrhea in children. The name originates from the Latin rota, which means “wheel”, because of the virus’ similarities to a wheel under the microscope. Rotavirus is transmitted through the stool of an infected person. Children are most often affected, due to their propensity for touching the diaper area and their mouths. Also, caretakers of small children may inadvertently spread rotavirus through improper hand washing after diaper changes or wiping. Rotavirus is a force to be reckoned with. It is highly contagious and accounts for nearly three million cases of diarrhea in the United States annually. Approximately 55,000 American children are hospitalized annually with severe infections, and sadly, rotavirus claims the lives of nearly 600,000 children worldwide annually. The vast majority of children are exposed to rotavirus by the age of five. The infection is characterized by diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain, usually lasting from
• Rotavirus: Diarrhea-causing virus in infants. • Rotavirus: A genus of REOVIRIDAE, causing acute gastroenteritis in BIRDS and MAMMALS, including humans. Transmission is horizontal and by environmental contamination. Seven species (Rotaviruses A thru G) are recognized. Source – Diseases Database • Rotavirus: the reovirus causing infant enteritis. Source – WordNet 2.
