Rotavirus infection in children

Rotavirus infection in children is one of the diseases that are also called "dirty hands diseases". Rotavirus is spread in everyday life through food, toys, bedding and all horizontal surfaces in the room with which the child comes into contact.

Eating a product contaminated with rotavirus leads to rapid development of symptoms of the disease and within 1-5 days, depending on the age of the child and the state of his immune system, the infectious process is in full swing.

What is rotavirus infection in children?

Intestinal disorders are not uncommon, especially in childhood, when a child, so to speak, learns about the world around him through his mouth, trying everything that comes into his hands. Intestinal problems manifest themselves in the form of changes in the nature of the stool, most often this is diarrhea, expressed in varying degrees of intensity, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, elevated body temperature and other symptoms.

Initially, an infectious intestinal lesion is perceived as food poisoning. This explains, in most cases, the incorrect initial diagnosis, as well as the fact that parents, hoping for the frivolity of the situation and their own strength, are in no hurry to see a doctor on the first day, which aggravates the situation.

Intestinal or stomach flu are other names that most often characterize rotavirus intestinal damage. When making a diagnosis, the name gastroenteritis may be used; if rotavirus is detected, the diagnosis will sound like "rotavirus gastroenteritis".

What is important is not the name of the disease, but the pathogen, which can only be identified in a laboratory, by conducting the necessary tests in the first days after the symptoms appear.

Where does rotavirus live?

Why was the source of infection in the form of food chosen as an example for this text? This is explained by the fact that children are most often prone to this route of infection. Suffice it to say that rotavirus feels great in the refrigerator and can easily continue to exist in chilled products. Chlorination of water is also not an effective method against this virus.

Therefore, it is very important that completely healthy adults work in children's institutions, especially in kitchens, so that food products entering the children's table do not come into contact with a "walking source of infection", a person with gastroenteritis.

Rotavirus lives in the intestines of a sick person, but, like other types of viruses, it can be released into the environment with tiny droplets of mucus when sneezing. So it is not difficult to imagine what the damage zone from one rotavirus carrier is in a large group of children, be it a kindergarten or a school.

Predisposing factors

Rotavirus infection in children covers a large age period from 1 to 14 years. If at this age the child has suffered from a disease caused by rotavirus, then subsequently the body develops a fairly stable immunity to it and when encountered again, the disease will not progress rapidly. Although it is possible that a weakened body will suffer from chronic forms of intestinal disorders for many years. To exclude such negative manifestations of rotavirus, it is necessary to systematically strengthen the child's immunity from birth.

If we consider the situation of immunization against rotavirus even more deeply, it is worth saying that at birth the baby already has antibodies to rotavirus infections, which he received from his mother through the placenta. This amount of antibodies is enough for him to fight the small amount of viruses that can come to him from his mother.

But when switching to another type of nutrition, when a child gets into a dense children's group, in the microclimate of another group, the child's body no longer has enough existing antibodies and infection occurs. After the body produces independent antibodies to rotavirus, the child will be more resistant to viral intestinal infections.

How does rotavirus infection manifest itself in children?

The first and obvious signs of the onset of the disease appear suddenly, in most cases unexpectedly, against the background of the child’s general well-being:

• Vomiting, often repeated.
• A sharp increase in body temperature to high levels.
• Diarrhea with a characteristic recognizable change in color from yellow on the first day to gray-yellow and clay-like by the fourth day.
• Complete lack of appetite.
• Signs of a cold in the form of a sore throat and runny nose.
• Change in urine color to dark.

Experts allocate no more than 1-5 days for the acute period of the disease. By the fifth day, all the main symptoms should be removed or transferred to the degree of moderation. There is also such a concept as the incubation period of the disease. This is the period when the infection has already entered the body, but the main signs of its development have not yet been identified.

Rotavirus infection in children has an incubation period of no more than 1-5 days. Taking into account all stages of the disease, the fight against the virus, including the recovery period, full recovery should occur no longer than 3 weeks from the start of treatment. Anything beyond the established period is already considered a complex form of the disease with the transition of some processes to the chronic stage.

Diagnostics

Rotavirus infection in children is recognized based on clinical indicators of blood analysis. Analysis is carried out by the PCR method to detect antibodies to rotavirus. Data from enzyme immunoassay and agglutination reactions are indicative. As a rule, rotavirus infection in children occurs against the background of other viral diseases, most often influenza, therefore, diagnosis of the disease is based not only on laboratory data, but also on visual symptoms, indicators of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

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How is rotavirus infection treated in children?

Unfortunately, there is no special, separate drug or group of drugs aimed at eliminating rotavirus. Treatment for rotavirus infection of the body is complex, in some cases symptomatic.

The main direction of treatment is to relieve the symptoms of viral intoxication, restore the water-salt balance, which is pathologically disturbed due to severe diarrhea and vomiting, and restore normal intestinal functionality.

It is important to take into account the high probability of secondary bacterial infections, for which purpose a special set of drugs is used during treatment to prevent such developments.

It is important for parents to remember that in case of any manifestations of gastrointestinal disorders, milk-based products, including milk itself, should not be given to the child. The milk environment, especially lactic acid, is an excellent soil for the development of bacteria, against the background of the virus infection, pathogenic bacteria will not take long to appear, thus, the good intentions of the parents will turn into catastrophic consequences for the child, in the form of various complications, which rotavirus infection in children is quite prone to.

Proper drinking and nutrition are of great importance, especially in the acute period, especially when the child has practically no appetite. Any jelly, low-fat chicken broths, both as a drink and as a separate dish, are good. Liquid porridges on water, preferably rice with a small amount of sugar, but without oil.

Important! When eating, take small portions. This point is given special attention when the child has a pronounced gag reflex. You should not offer him more than one teaspoon. Let him eat and drink as much as he can at one time, but these portions should be repeated as often as possible, for example, once an hour.

Drinking with sorbents is the best way to remove toxins from the body and restore fluid lost through vomiting and diarrhea. Again, it is important to remember that drinking should be plentiful, but the portion at one time should not exceed 50 ml, otherwise the next urge to vomit will reduce all positive intentions to zero.

Take 50 ml, every hour is necessary. If there is no nausea or vomiting, the amount of liquid both for one dose and repetitions per hour can be increased, everything is decided according to the situation. The main thing is that the child drinks liquids with sorbents as much as possible.

The doctor will tell you which sorbents should be used. Each age has its own norms for these drugs, so even activated carbon should be used more carefully, choosing the dose based on the child's age.

"You need to bring down" the body temperature only after the thermometer reading "crosses" 39 degrees. It is important to remember that viruses in the body begin to die at a temperature above 38 degrees. As soon as the temperature reaches the critical figure of 38.5 degrees, you need to measure it every 10 minutes.

If the temperature continues to rise steadily, then you should prepare all the necessary means to stop it and reduce the indicators. Alcohol rubs and antipyretic suppositories will come in handy here.

Rotavirus infection in children responds well to treatment with paracetamol, which quickly stabilizes temperature indicators. It is not used alone, but in combination with analgin. This option for combating temperature is suitable for children over one year old. A quarter of a tablet of both names is used per dose.

How is rotavirus infection prevented in children?

As well as targeted rotavirus treatment, there is no prevention of this particular type of disease. There are specially developed vaccines against rotavirus, which are used only in the fear of Europe and the USA.

The only possible method that allows you to avoid a number of diseases is to follow the rules of personal hygiene.

Adults should take note that when working in children's groups, it is necessary to strictly monitor their own health, not only follow the rules of personal hygiene and use the right means for disinfecting surfaces in the premises, but also undergo preventive examinations, consult a doctor at the first signs of any disease. The health of the children around them and, in many ways, their healthy future depend on the conscientiousness of adults.

Clean hands and clean water as the main source of fluid entering the body are a significant guarantee that rotavirus infection in children will be a rare guest.