Rotavirus

Rotavirus is a contagious gastrointestinal (GI) infection that causes inflammation of the stomach and intestines (gastroenteritis). This can lead to severe diarrhea and vomiting, especially in young children. Kids tend to get rotavirus during the winter and spring. It spreads when they come in contact with the poop (stool) of someone who has it and then touch their own mouth.

Once your child gets rotavirus, it takes about two to three days for them to become sick. Then, diarrhea and vomiting may last for up to one week. To prevent dehydration, make sure your child drinks plenty of liquids. There’s no medicine for rotavirus. The infection usually passes on its own. However, some children may need to go to the hospital for IV fluids (fluids given through your vein).

Who gets rotavirus?

People of all ages can get rotavirus. But it mostly occurs in children younger than 1 year old. The rotavirus vaccines — Rotarix® or RotaTeq® — can protect children from getting rotavirus or make their symptoms less severe if they do get it.

How common is rotavirus?

Before the vaccines became available, rotavirus was the No. 1 cause of severe diarrhea in babies and young children in the United States. Nearly all children got rotavirus before the age of 5. Rotavirus led to 55,000 to 70,000 hospitalizations each year.

The vaccines have significantly improved children’s health and hospitalization rates. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has studied the impact. It estimates that every year, the vaccines prevent 40,000 to 50,000 hospitalizations among babies and young children.