Acute rotavirus diarrhoea: common causes and symptoms

Rotavirus is a common virus that causes acute diarrhoea in children. It can cause many unpredictable complications and can even be fatal. There is currently no specific treatment, but infection can be prevented with a vaccine. In this video, Momby helps you understand the causes and symptoms of this illness and how to prevent it! Content reviewed by Dr Nguyen Thanh Duy, Specialist Level I - Founder of Care For Kids Paediatric Clinic.

Causes:

For bottle-fed babies:

• Acute rotavirus diarrhoea is often caused by feeding equipment that isn't properly clean or is contaminated from the environment. That is why babies who breastfeed directly have a lower risk of rotavirus diarrhoea.

For babies who have started solid foods:

• Food that isn't stored properly after cooking, and food that is reheated many times, also make a child's digestive system more vulnerable to rotavirus.
• Food can become contaminated during preparation, especially raw meat and fish such as beef, pork and fish.
• Rotavirus thrives in water, so children can easily become ill when household water is contaminated, or when they drink water that hasn't been boiled or has been left standing for a long time. Families using water filters connected directly to the water supply should also boil the water before giving it to their child.
• Rotavirus can be spread from utensils or the hands of a food preparer who was previously infected.
• Children tend to put their hands in their mouths while playing or eating, and their hands may carry rotavirus, so help your child get into the habit of washing their hands after using the toilet and before eating.

Symptoms

Children infected with rotavirus have an incubation period of about 2 days before clear symptoms appear. Symptoms of acute rotavirus diarrhoea include:

• Vomiting: this is the first sign. Children vomit a lot about 6-12 hours before diarrhoea starts, and it can last 2-3 days; this symptom gradually eases before the diarrhoea appears.
• Diarrhoea: watery stools, which may be green with mucus but no blood. Children may pass loose stools more than 20 times a day.
• Dehydration: signs include thirst, dry lips, dry tongue, dry skin, passing little urine and fussiness. This is the most serious and dangerous complication of acute rotavirus diarrhoea and can lead to severe loss of water and salts, circulatory collapse and death if fluids aren't replaced in time.
• Weight loss due to dehydration and poor eating.
• Some children also have signs such as fever, cough, runny nose…

Prevention

First: adjust your daily habits by:

• Eating well-cooked food and drinking boiled water is the top rule for preventing rotavirus diarrhoea.
• Limiting ready-made food prepared in unhygienic conditions.
• Sterilising your child's feeding equipment with boiling water or a dedicated steriliser before use.
• Cleaning your child's living area and toys regularly so rotavirus can't stay on surfaces.
• Regularly giving vitamins, minerals or probiotics to strengthen your child's digestive defences.

Second: give the oral rotavirus vaccine to prevent the illness

Above is some information about rotavirus diarrhoea in young children. If your child has any of the signs above, take them to see a doctor for timely treatment and to avoid dangerous complications.

References:

Clinical Research Centre, Pasteur Institute Vietnam

VNVC Vaccination Centre