Rotavirus infection in a young child. Rotavirus infection in a one-year-old child

What it is? Rotavirus infection- a disease in which there is inflammation of the upper respiratory tract as well as the stomach and intestines. Pathology is called Rotavirus from the genus Rotavirus, which is very contagious.

Mostly children from six months to 5 years are ill; outbreaks of this intestinal infection are often recorded in children's groups and in the family.

Adults become infected while caring for a child with a rotavirus infection; in them, the disease in almost all cases is much easier. The signs and treatment of rotavirus will be discussed in this article.

How can you get infected?

The source of infection is a sick person, less often a virus carrier. An adult who suffers an erased form of the disease and is unaware of it can also infect.

The contagious period begins from the moment the first signs of rotavirus infection appear in children until the moment of complete recovery, which should be determined by a negative rota test (since there is a "second wave" of the disease). On the 3-5th day of illness, the patient is especially contagious: he excretes the maximum amount of viruses with feces.

The main route of transmission of rotavirus infection is through dirty hands, door handles, furnishings, toys, unwashed products, where the virus could get both from the feces and from the discharge of the nasopharynx (snot, saliva) of the patient.

Direct airborne transmission (by coughing, talking, kissing and sneezing) is still disputed by scientists. It is quite easy to get infected through food products, especially dairy and sour-milk products, in the preparation of which the patient or the virus carrier participated: the virus is stored for a long time with the product in the refrigerator, and at 100 ° C such food is not processed.

Drinking unboiled water, if rotavirus got into it, can also provoke the development of the disease: chlorine has no effect on the viral particle.

Symptoms of rotavirus infection in children

If the child has been in contact with another baby who has signs of inflammation of the upper respiratory tract (runny nose, cough, sneezing) caused by rotavirus, then the disease will develop in 12-96 hours.

There are several scenarios for the onset of the development of rotavirus infection:

1. 1st option begins with the manifestation of catarrhal symptoms in a child:, runny nose,. The temperature usually does not rise. signs inflammatory process in the gastrointestinal tract develop after.
2. 2nd option It begins precisely with symptoms indicating that an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract has occurred.
3. 3rd option It is usually observed in young children in whom intoxication comes to the fore: the child is lethargic, drowsy (may be agitated, crying), refuses to eat, draws his legs to his stomach. Only then do they develop, which make it possible to correctly diagnose the disease.

Symptoms of inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract with rotavirus infection are as follows:

1. 1) Vomit. In most cases, everything starts with her. It can be 2-3 times, maybe more often. The child becomes lethargic, and all attempts to drink it with water end in vomiting.
2. 2) loose stool: it may be yellow, it may be dark brown, with an unpleasant odor. With a pure rotavirus infection, there is no blood or greenery in it, there may be mucus. The stool frequency is different. Some children have 5-10 stools, while others go to the toilet 1-2 times more often than usual. Diarrhea is observed within 3-5 days, then this symptom (subject to an adequate diet) disappears.
3. 3) Lack of appetite, lethargy, drowsiness occur due to the fact that rotavirus causes severe intoxication. In combination with the acetonemic state (we will talk about it later), which develops in 70% of sick children, parents notice that the child is “lying in bed”.
4. 4) Increasing the temperature to different numbers. This infection is characterized by a "stubborn" high temperature, which is poorly reduced by antipyretics, and is the second (after vomiting and diarrhea) cause for concern for parents.
5. 5) Abdominal pain, usually in the navel, which is spastic in nature, decreasing after defecation and taking antispasmodics ("Riabal", "No-shpa").

On the 4-7th day, a complete recovery of the child is usually observed, but there is also a possibility of a “second wave” of infection, when the main symptoms - fever, vomiting, diarrhea and acetonuria - return, being less pronounced or the same as the first time. Therefore, before receiving negative result feces should not be rushed to leave the hospital.

Rotavirus infection in adults: symptoms

In adults, this infection in 90% of cases is asymptomatic or signs of rotavirus infection are not expressed.

So, they can develop:

• short-term increase in temperature;
• liquid stool several times (less than 5) 1-2 days;
• general weakness;
• vomiting - single or absent;
• loss of appetite;
• catarrhal symptoms may be slight or absent altogether.

Despite all these inconclusive symptoms, the person is contagious to others, and poses a serious danger to children. Usually, the rest of the family begins to get sick over the next 3-5 days.

Treatment of rotavirus infection

There is no specific therapy for this disease.

1) As an antiviral treatment for rotavirus infection, interferon preparations are used - an analogue of the main non-specific antiviral substance that is produced in the body when the virus enters it. In most cases, either "Viferon" ("Laferon") is used in the form of suppositories, or "Lipoferon" in the form of a small-volume suspension taken by mouth. Both medications are used in a course of 5 days. The dosage of the drug is selected by the doctor according to the age of the child.

2) Rehydration, that is, the return to the body of the fluid lost by him with diarrhea, vomiting and temperature, is the main component of treatment. This volume is called replenishment fluid, and its parents can determine “by eye” - how much the child has already vomited, how watery the diarrhea was, how profusely he sweated. In addition, you need to provide the child with the fluid that is necessary to maintain his life, kidney function and fight infection. It is called "fluid intake", it can be viewed in the table, depending on the weight of the child.

The third component that must be received by the child's body is the fluid that is lost while you replenish the previous 2 volumes. The sum of the three previous components must be returned to the child.

Ideally, it looks like this: give every 10 minutes a spoon - tea or dessert. They start with a teaspoon, and if there is no vomiting within an hour, then you can try to give a little more, then even more, but expand the drinking regime gradually. You can drink water, solutions of Humana Electrolyte, Regidron, Oralit, weak and almost unsweetened dried fruit compote, rice water, chamomile tea.

If you see that fluid is lost faster than it is replenished, if vomiting is noted after even 5 ml of fluid, go to the hospital, only with the help of droppers you can save the child.

3) Sorbents, that is, drugs that will take "on themselves" all the toxins present in the intestines during inflammation: "Smekta", "White Coal", "Atoxil" and others. This is an obligatory component of treatment, which is also given in an age dosage.

4) Decrease in body temperature, elevated above 38.4 ° C: with the help of syrups (Nurofen, Efferalgan) and suppositories (Efferalgan, Cefekon), given in an age dosage. It is also obligatory to wipe the child with a water-alcohol solution (1: 1), uncovering it. This is precisely the prevention of seizures that can develop in children under 6 years of age against a background of high temperature. "Aspirin" and "Acetylsalicylic acid" for children with infection are deadly, they should not be given.

5) If the diagnosis is established accurately, that is, an express rota test was carried out (you can buy it at a pharmacy and perform it yourself), and it turned out to be positive, antibiotics are not prescribed. Otherwise, Enterofuril or Nifuroxazide syrup is used.

6) For pain in the abdomen, the child is given "Riabal" or "No-shpa" in the age dosage.

7) It is also obligatory to take probiotics: Lacidophila, Bifilact or others.

8) If acetone is found in the urine (it is from him that the child often becomes lethargic and sleepy), another 100-200 ml / day is added to the calculated volume of liquid by 2-4 plus. Effective in this case and drugs "Citrarginine" or "Stimol", dissolved in 200 ml, which should be consumed within a day.

9) Diet for rotavirus infection: all dairy products, fried and fatty foods are excluded. The basis of nutrition is mashed potatoes, rice porrige without any vegetable or meat additives. You can eat bananas, dry cookies, bagels (drying) and straws. Children cannot be force-fed. Artificial babies are transferred to lactose-free mixtures (“Nan lactose-free”, “Nestozhen lactose-free” and others).

Dr. Komarovsky about the signs and methods of treatment of rotavirus infection in children:

Complications

Rotavirus infection can cause complications such as:

1. 1) Dehydration which may even result in the death of the child. Prevents its timely commencement of drinking, and if the liquid given is not absorbed, it is applied for medical care. In this case, you should not “run away” from the hospital as soon as the child feels better after the first dropper - the rotavirus infection does not end so quickly.
2. 2) Acetonemic state- the appearance in the body of ketone bodies, toxic (but reversible) acting on the brain. They appear due to the fact that the body, actively fighting the infection, has used up all the carbohydrates (and new ones have not been received with food), and set to fats. In the process of splitting the latter, a ketone (acetone) is formed.

There is a complication of lethargy, drowsiness, abdominal pain (sometimes the child gets to see the surgeon several times because of this), and persistent vomiting. Sometimes it smells like acetone.

This complication should be treated with fluid intake, if the child can drink, then with sweetened water, tea, compote. You can’t give too sweet, it will increase gas formation in the intestines.

1. 1) Convulsions that develop against a background of high temperature. Their prevention is timely cooling not only with the help of drugs, but also with physical methods of cooling (“half-alcohol rubdown”).
2. 2) Neurotoxicosis - a complex of symptoms of damage nervous system due to the toxic effect of the virus. It can also be convulsions against a background of normal or not very high temperature, drowsiness (in the absence of acetone bodies in the urine), fainting, a delusional state of consciousness.

Prevention measures

Non-specific prevention consists in observing hygiene measures, and also, if one of the family members is already sick, processing his dishes (boiling in water with soda), the toilet room. A child is not allowed to see such an adult for about a week, or his hands are thoroughly washed, and the adult is put on a mask.

Vaccines against this disease have also been developed, which are not included in the mandatory vaccination list, and are effective for children under 2 years of age. Vaccines are not used as emergency prophylaxis (if contact has already taken place with a person with a rotavirus infection).

Which doctor should I contact for treatment?

If, after reading the article, you assume that you have symptoms characteristic of this disease, then you should

The appearance of a rotavirus infection in a baby causes great concern among parents. This is not surprising, since the disease can lead to adverse consequences. How to treat rotavirus infection in children and what the popular pediatrician Komarovsky recommends - all this can be found in the article below.

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Where does rotavirus infection come from in a child? Causes

The causative agent of this disease is rotavirus. Most often, the disease affects children attending kindergartens and schools. The microorganism is characterized by sufficient resistance to environmental factors. The peak incidence occurs in the cold season - from late autumn to early spring. However, there are also geographical sources of the disease. For example, hot summers plus too warm seas create favorable conditions for the growth of bacteria. If you are going on vacation in mid-July or August, be prepared for this development and stock up on the necessary drugs in advance. Because how long the rotavirus infection lasts in children in a foreign region - no one can predict in advance.

How can you get sick? Transmission routes

• alimentary (food): with insufficient heat treatment of food, including dairy products, fruits and vegetables;
• water: through tap water;
• contact-household: dirty hands and unwashed toys.

The pool can also become a source of infection if hygiene requirements are not observed in the sports complex.

Most often, sick people or carriers of the infection become the source of the disease. The causative agent multiplies intensively in the intestine, from where it is released with feces into the environment. If the infection appears in institutions with a large concentration of babies, over time this can lead to acute outbreaks of rotavirus infection in children.

Symptoms of the disease - how to recognize?

In the acute period of the disease, its first signs appear in the form of nasal congestion, runny nose, hyperemic and edematous palatine arches and posterior pharyngeal wall. To understand that this is rotavirus, the following main symptoms will help:

• increased body temperature of the child;
• the appearance of loose stools;
• the presence of vomiting.

The disease begins with sudden diarrhea and vomiting. The child's stool is liquid, plentiful with an unpleasant sour smell. In color, it does not differ from normal and does not contain any blood or mucus. Most often, diarrhea lasts about 3-6 days. The main threat to life and health is dehydration due to systematic diarrhea in children with rotavirus infection. Without diarrhea, the course of the disease also happens.

Vomiting usually disturbs up to 4 times a day, it can appear even when the stomach is empty. In very rare cases, it becomes multiple. Also, the baby is worried about cutting pains in the abdomen, because of which he may refuse to eat. A loud rumbling can be heard in the stomach.

Then comes the high temperature. Because of her, the baby becomes irritable and tearful, he loses his appetite, may complain about headache.

Does fever accompany rotavirus infection in children?

How long does the temperature last, if any? As a rule, the temperature accompanies the disease. Depending on the course of the disease, it can be different: from 37.5? up to 39.5 degrees. Most often, it lasts about 2-4 days. It is quite difficult to knock it down, as the body tries to defeat the infection on its own: at a temperature above 38? the pathogen dies.

Is there an incubation period?

Yes, with rotavirus infection in children, the incubation period undoubtedly exists. It represents the time from infection of the body with bacteria to the onset of signs of the disease. Usually its duration is 1-5 days. During this time, the pathogen enters the gastrointestinal tract, where it accumulates. The virus invades a healthy cell, where it begins to multiply intensively, moving to other cells.

In his opinion, such a disease as rotavirus infection in children should be taken very seriously. Komarovsky argues that in order to treat young patients, it is first necessary to replenish the level of lost water. Therefore, he advises mothers to water the child as often as possible so that dehydration does not occur.

In the event that the baby categorically refuses the drink and cannot drink it, you should immediately seek help from a medical institution, as this threatens with the appearance of adverse consequences. In a hospital setting, the doctor prescribes intravenous drugs that prevent the development of dehydration.

As for antibiotics, a popular doctor notes that they do not act on the causative agent of the infection. Therefore, the purpose of these medicines not only unnecessary, but also fraught with complications. Taking antibiotics is justified only when pathological impurities (blood, mucus) are found in loose stools, but their appointment should be handled by the attending doctor. You can not give them to a child on your own!

Rotavirus infection in children - video conference with a pediatrician:

How to eat during treatment? Diet

The effectiveness of therapy largely depends on how parents will feed young patients. It is desirable that the diet for rotavirus infection in children be followed for 2-3 weeks in order to facilitate the work of the affected gastrointestinal intestinal tract. Portions of food should be small, as its large volume can provoke vomiting. At the same time, you need to feed your baby often. If the baby does not feel like eating, you do not need to force-feed him, but you must definitely drink.

The well-known doctor Komarovsky notes that in this case there is a decrease in the activity of enzymes such as lactase. She takes part in the process of hydrolysis of lactose, which is contained in dairy products. Due to the lack of enzymes, food cannot be digested, and the condition of the small patient will worsen, since such food will cause intense fermentation in the intestines. For this reason, parents need to remove products from the baby's menu, including mother's milk, for a period of at least 3 weeks from the onset of the disease. You also need to exclude confectionery, meat and fish of fatty varieties, canned foods, legumes.

At the beginning of the development of the disease, low-fat broths, various cereals, scrambled eggs will be useful. From drinks it is desirable to drink jelly, rosehip broth. Over time, you can add fresh vegetables and fruits, lactic acid products and juices diluted with water.

What to feed a child with rotavirus infection?

As a rule, “table number 5” is recommended for babies with such symptoms, namely:

1. still water, dried fruit compote, sweet black tea;
2. boiled rice porridge in water;
3. vegetable soup on the water with the addition of rice or barley (boil to the maximum!);
4. mashed potatoes on the water;
5. steamed chicken fillet cutlets (minced meat with white bread);
6. fish soup made from white varieties of fish (cod is recommended).

And once again - you should eat little by little, 3-4 times a day. During vomiting and diarrhea, let's eat on demand. This means that if the baby refuses food for a day, you should not force him. As soon as he comes to his senses, he will ask. Be sure to watch your feces. For babies up to one year old and infants:

Proper drinking regimen: what can you drink?

Effective treatment of rotavirus infection in children is impossible without proper drinking regimen. Approximately 2 times an hour, 50 ml, be sure to let the baby drink. It is desirable to use such drinks that restore not only the level of fluid in the body, but also the composition of electrolytes. You can buy them at the pharmacy or make your own.

• water - 1l;
• sugar - 2 tbsp. l.;
• salt - 1 tsp;
• soda - 1 tsp

The child needs to drink this solution so often that his frequency of urination is at least 1 time in 3 hours.

What to give a child with rotavirus infection? What medicines how to accept?

Intestinal rotavirus infection in children, the symptoms and treatment of which we describe, responds well to therapy. The first thing to do is to remove its signs (vomiting, diarrhea, temperature), and then keep the baby comfortable until he is fully recovered. For this, the following groups of drugs are used:

1. Antipyretics

Such medicines are used if the body temperature exceeds 38 degrees. The calculation of the dosage of drugs is carried out depending on the age of the child. Paracetamol can be given to children. It is available in the form of Cefekon suppositories and tablets. You can give Nurofen suspension, which not only reduces the temperature, but also helps to reduce abdominal pain.

2. Medications to replenish water deficiency in the body

These are Regidron, Humana, Hydrovit. They are necessary for the normal functioning internal organs and elimination of pathogen toxins. It is recommended to give the baby 1 teaspoon of the solution 4-5 times an hour. In order not to provoke vomiting, you can literally swallow half a teaspoon of water or solution, but be sure!

3. Symptomatic drugs

Sorbents are a necessary component of the treatment of rotavirus infection. These include activated carbon, Smecta, Enterosgel. They remove the toxins from the virus from the body. Dose calculation is carried out by the attending physician based on the severity of the disease.

As a rule, 2 tablets of activated carbon are given for 10 years. Smecta can be dissolved in 1/2 sachet in 100 ml of water. Before giving, make sure that the child does not vomit the medicine, because. its repeated reception can be fraught with overdose.

4. Antiviral drugs

They include an analogue of interferon, which resists the pathogen. In children, Viferon suppositories, Lipoferon suspension are most often used. The dose is selected by the doctor, and the duration of treatment is about 5 days.

5. Preparations for the restoration of intestinal microflora

Due to inflammation, the composition of the normal intestinal flora is disrupted, so these drugs are included in complex therapy diseases. They contain lacto- and bifidobacteria. These include Bifilakta, Lacilophila. It is recommended to give after such signs of rotavirus infection in children as diarrhea and vomiting are eliminated.

How to treat a baby?

The main rule in the treatment of rotavirus infection in children under one year old is to replenish the lack of fluid. At home, this is quite difficult, so usually rotavirus infection in baby being treated in a hospital.

To combat water deficiency in the body, Regidron is used, 1 sachet of which is diluted in 1 liter of boiled water. The drug is given to the child after each bowel movement in a volume of 50 ml. To reduce fever, babies are given Cefekon candles, and if they are older than 3 months, Nurofen can be given. Treat rotavirus infection in infants with methods traditional medicine strictly prohibited!

If the child is on breastfeeding, the digestibility of milk may decrease, so you can partially give the baby a lactose-free mixture. The same goes for formula-fed babies: they are also fed a lactose-free formula.

Folk remedies used for the disease

For the treatment of rotavirus infection in children and adults, alternative medicine methods should not be the main ones. They can be added to conservative treatment by consulting a doctor.

Solution with raisins. Take 100 g of dried fruit and boil it in 1 liter of water for 30 minutes. Let cool and strain the solution, carefully grinding the raisins. Add 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. soda and 4 tsp. Sahara. Boil the drink for about 2 minutes and cool. Such a solution fights well with dehydration.

Hypericum decoction. Take 1 tbsp. l. plants and brew in 1 cup boiling water. Let it brew for about 30 minutes and strain it. Pour 200 ml of hot water. The decoction is taken 60 ml three times a day 30 minutes before meals. It fights rotavirus well, but for children under 3 years old, the solution is prohibited for use.

Dried blueberry compote. Boil dry fruits of berries and give to the baby before and after eating. Such a drink effectively fights loose stools.

Child after infection: how to behave, how to eat?

After the illness, it is advisable to stick to a diet for about 2-3 weeks with a gradual expansion of the list of products and an increase in food portions. Feeding a child after a rotavirus infection should be as sparing as possible. In the future, it is necessary to refrain from certain rules:

• drink only boiled water;
• wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating them;
• observe personal hygiene.

A child after a rotavirus infection is weakened, his immunity needs support. Limit physical and mental "stresses", let him walk more, slowly do exercises, eat well, but eat right.

Are there any complications? Which?

Any intestinal infection in a child is fraught with various complications. The most common adverse effect is the development of dehydration. It is the most dangerous. Due to frequent heavy loose stools and vomiting, the body loses a lot of fluid in a short period of time. Its main signs are the appearance of lethargy and lethargy, a feeling of dry mouth, a decrease in the volume of urine excreted, and the occurrence of convulsions. With an unfavorable course, a lethal outcome is possible after a rotavirus infection. Complications in children are very unpredictable.

The development of pneumonia due to a lack of fluid: with a shortage of water, the work of the lungs is disturbed.
Accession of secondary bacterial microflora and necrotizing enterocolitis, which aggravate the course of the disease.

Prevention of the onset of the disease

The best prevention of rotavirus infection in children is personal hygiene, eating well-washed vegetables and fruits, and boiled water. If symptoms of the disease appear in one of the family members, it is imperative to isolate the patient, providing him with a personal towel and utensils.

And, of course, it is worth hardening the child so that his body can cope with any disease. After all, the stronger the immune system, the faster it will cope with any bacteria.

Is it worth getting vaccinated?

There are currently 2 vaccines in use:

Rotarix: contains only 1 strain. It is obtained by isolating the virus from a baby with gastroenteritis. This vaccine is administered orally twice at the age of 6-12 weeks and 4 weeks after the first vaccination. Rotarix must be done before the baby is 6 months old.

RotaTeq : consists of 5 genetically modified rotavirus strains. This vaccine is also administered orally three times: at 2, 4 and 6 months. The age for vaccination should not exceed 12 weeks, and by 32 weeks the child must receive all 3 vaccines.

Infection with a rotavirus infection is quite simple. Many doctors believe that vaccination is the only effective method, which can protect the child from the disease. According to most pediatricians, after vaccination, strong immunity is developed against most serotypes of the virus. However, it should be taken into account that viruses constantly mutate, and vaccination will not be able to protect the child from all of them. Therefore, before you get vaccinated, you need to weigh the pros and cons many times.

Rotavirus infection in children is an extremely dangerous disease. In the absence of proper treatment, the disease threatens with serious consequences up to the onset of death. That is why the task of parents is to timely contact the doctor and fulfill all his appointments.

The digestive tract is the most vulnerable system of our body. Every day, a significant amount of food and water of various qualities passes through it, which can be contaminated with bacteria, toxins, microscopic fungi, etc.

Getting into the cavity of the stomach and intestines, they begin to destroy the cells of these organs and disrupt digestion. There are a large number of microorganisms that lead to acute intestinal infections, however, most often, these diseases occur due to Rotaviruses.

More than a billion cases of this infection are registered annually worldwide. According to statistics, every second family encounters rotaviruses at least 1 time. And most often, children under 10 years of age get sick.

Adults usually become infected while caring for their child, but it is also possible for the microorganism to enter from another source. Given such a widespread pathology, one should be wary of any signs of an intestinal infection and, if it is suspected, seek the help of a doctor.

What is Rotavirus?

This is a whole genus of viruses that infect small intestine person. They are stored for a long time on any objects of the environment (food, water, clothes of a sick person, door handles, etc.). Once inside, Rotaviruses transit through the acidic environment of the stomach, and settle in the initial section of the intestine. They attach to its cells (enterocytes), penetrate inside and begin to multiply rapidly.

As soon as their concentration becomes large enough, the cell is destroyed, and all copies of the viruses are released from it. Some of them come out with feces, the rest of the microorganisms infect other enterocytes. It is because of this that rotavirus infection progresses steadily, without adequate treatment.

How do rotaviruses enter the body?

These microorganisms are highly contagious. They can get into the environment in only one way - from a sick person. Viruses come out in large numbers along with feces and can easily pass to the patient's hands, his clothes and household items (telephone, bed linen, doorknobs, etc.). In order for the infection to pass to another person, the rotavirus must get into oral cavity. Moreover, a very small amount is enough for the development of the disease.

If a family has a rotavirus infection, there is a high probability of transmission of the disease to other family members. Even with proper care and isolation of the patient, while keeping him at home, it is difficult to avoid a group outbreak.

It should also be remembered that people of decreed professions (which can infect a large number of people) can get this intestinal infection: catering workers, teachers, water utility employees, sellers and others. That is why there is always the possibility of getting sick with rotavirus, if the elementary principles of prevention are not followed.

Symptoms of rotavirus infection

From the moment the rotavirus enters the intestine until the first symptoms appear, on average, 1-2 days pass. In more than half of patients, the disease masquerades as a common cold (ARI), manifesting itself as a runny/stuffy nose, slight wet cough, sore throat. However, after a few days, or in parallel with the signs of acute respiratory infections, the symptoms of an intestinal infection join, so rotavirus infection is also called intestinal or stomach flu.

Rotavirus infection in children

As a rule, the disease in children under 5 years of age is quite severe. It is always accompanied by severe toxic poisoning of the body and severe intestinal disorders that appear almost simultaneously. The most typical symptoms include:

Symptom of the disease	Symptom characteristic
Body intoxication	Rotavirus infection in infants begins with this symptom. The child becomes lethargic (he practically does not move, the cry is weak, he is reluctant to suckle the breast, etc.), cries for no reason, increased sweating is often noted. Older children, in addition to lack of appetite and weakness, may complain of headache or dizziness.
An increase in temperature (hyperthermia)	Most often, body temperature rises quite strongly (more than 38-39 ° C), but for a short time - up to 3 days. In the subsequent course of the disease, all other intestinal symptoms persist, but without fever. Only in severe rotovirus infection, which occurs with significant poisoning of the body, hyperthermia can be observed for more than a week.
Diarrhea	In children up to the 2nd year of life, loose stools can be 10-14 times a day. As a rule, it is foamy, consists almost only of water, and may contain particles of mucus. Diarrhea may persist for 10-14 days. Such frequent defecation leads to dehydration of the body and increases intoxication.
Vomit	In children under one year of age, vomiting continues for 1-2 days, repeatedly repeated during the day, and contributes to dehydration. As a rule, an older child rarely suffers from this symptom for more than a day.
Abdominal pain	The pain is moderately expressed, may increase somewhat when probing the abdomen (especially in the middle / lower halves).

Symptoms of rotavirus infection in children can be of varying severity. As a rule, the older the child, the easier the disease. However, it should be remembered that if any signs of intestinal disease appear, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Rotavirus infection in adults

Almost all symptoms in adults are much easier than in small patients. Intoxication of the body may be absent or expressed in slight weakness and loss of appetite. The temperature rarely rises above 38°C and often returns to normal within one day. Diarrhea, as a rule, is observed no more than 5 times a day, during the week (from 3 to 7 days). Vomiting is single or not expressed.

Rotavirus infection in adolescents proceeds similarly to adults - the symptoms are moderate and respond well to treatment.

Dangerous symptoms

There is a group of "alarming" symptoms for children and adults, the appearance of which should immediately seek emergency medical help. They indicate a severe course of infection and require inpatient treatment. It is especially important to control the appearance of these symptoms in a sick child, since he will not be able to do this on his own.

• The appearance of red blood in the stool or black staining of feces (with a brilliant tint and an unpleasant odor) is an extremely unfavorable sign that indicates an open intestinal bleeding. In this case, you should immediately call an ambulance or go to an infectious diseases hospital / hospital;
• Increased diarrhea up to 10 times a day or repeated vomiting (more than 7 episodes per day) - the active release of fluid during rotavirus infection significantly increases the poisoning of the body with toxins. In this case, the patient is hospitalized in an infectious diseases hospital, where the lost volume of fluid and electrolytes is replenished using droppers;
• Severe abdominal pain - in a typical course, abdominal pain is practically not expressed. A significant increase in soreness may indicate damage to the intestinal walls;
• The appearance of a rash on the body - small (up to 5 mm) and rare red spots that appeared during the illness are very characteristic of typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever. In some cases, these pathologies can masquerade as a common rotavirus infection.

Diagnosis of rotavirus infection

Thanks to characteristics, this disease can be suspected from the moment the first symptoms appear. In order to distinguish it from other infections, doctors use the following signs:

• The onset of the disease is acute;
• The virus is active year-round, the peak incidence is autumn, winter (but during the hot period in open water it is easy to get infected through the water, swimming in the sea, there is always a risk of swallowing water);
• Skin rashes - absent;
• Temperature - up to 39 ° C, but short-term;
• Characteristic clinical picture (described in the symptoms section).

In order to confirm the presence of rotavirus infection, conventional laboratory examinations (general blood tests, urine, feces) are not enough, since changes in them will be nonspecific. A definitive diagnosis can only be made using the following methods:

Start treating the disease should be immediately after the initial diagnosis. You do not need to wait for confirmation from the laboratory for this. Subsequently, the tactics of therapy can be adjusted, depending on the results obtained.

Treatment of rotavirus infection

Symptoms and treatment of rotavirus infection depend on the activity of the pathogen. As a rule, this disease can be successfully treated at home. Patients are hospitalized in an infectious diseases hospital/hospital only if the infection is severe or if “dangerous” symptoms appear.

Health food

Therapy should begin with proper nutrition. Breastfed babies continue to be fed on demand, but at least 4-6 times a day. If the baby is bottle-fed, it is better to use lactose-free/low-lactose formulas, which will have a positive effect on intestinal health and reduce the duration of diarrhea. It is important to note that it is strictly forbidden to introduce new complementary foods during an illness, as this can aggravate indigestion.

Older children and adults should exclude from their diet:

• Any plant food (berries; vegetables; fruits, including dried ones);
• Bakery and flour products;
• Fatty, salty, spicy, fried foods;
• Whole milk;
• Broths.

According to latest research, all this food increases the work of the intestines, because of which the diarrhea will last a little longer. During the illness, it is recommended to eat boiled lightly salted cereals, in small but frequent portions.

Elimination of rotavirus

How to treat rotavirus infection? To do this, it is necessary to remove from the intestine microorganisms that are located on its walls and destroy cells. For this purpose, adequate doses of sorbent preparations can be used, such as:

• Activated charcoal - up to 4-6 tablets per dose several times a day;
• Smektu or Neosmectin (domestic analogue) - 3-4 sachets per day;
• Enterodez or Polysorb - 1-2 sachets per day.

For infants, the number of drugs is selected individually, depending on the condition of the child. Some forms of drugs are difficult enough to get a baby to drink. To simplify the process, preference should be given to syrups, medicinal solutions. Tablets can be dissolved in water or finely crushed and given in a teaspoon.

In addition to enterosorbents, Anaferon and Arbidol have proven their effectiveness against rotaviruses. In the course of research, doctors found that their use accelerates the treatment of infection by several days.

Elimination of dehydration and intoxication

This is one of the most important components of treatment, which allows you to improve general state patient of any age. You can compensate for the loss of water and minerals necessary for the body with the help of drugs: Regidron, Glucosolan, Gastrolit.

If none of the listed drugs is in the home medicine cabinet, for the first time you can prepare a solution that is close in composition to these drugs. To do this, add to 1 liter of boiled water:

• 4 tablespoons (20 g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon (3 g) salt
• 1 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda

However, it should be remembered that this solution is best used only for a short time, before buying medications, since it lacks a number of important trace elements.

Restoration of bowel function

Rotavirus infection destroys some of the beneficial bacteria that are essential for efficient digestion. That is why it is necessary to connect probiotics to therapy, such as Laktofiltrum, Linex, Bifidum, Bifidumbacterin, etc.

Caring for a baby with rotavirus

Since children under one year old can endure the disease quite hard, they need to provide adequate care. Let's highlight the key points:

• Proper nutrition. If the child is breastfed, it must be continued, at least 4-6 times. When formula feeding, preference should be given to lactose-free/low-lactose concentrates;
• Compliance with doctor's orders. Some forms of drugs are difficult enough to get a baby to drink. To simplify the process, preference should be given to medicinal solutions. Tablets can be dissolved in water or finely crushed and given on a teaspoon;
• Regular change of diapers / diapers. Despite frequent liquid stools, it is necessary to change the child's underwear every time after it gets wet. This will subsequently avoid maceration (damage to the skin with the formation of "weeping" areas) of the skin;
• Monitor the condition of the child. Excessive lethargy, a very weak cry, the appearance of "dangerous" symptoms - all these are signs of a severe course of the disease, in the event of which it is recommended to seek emergency medical help.

In most young patients, the symptoms of the disease disappear within a few days, with adequate treatment. But at this time it is important to provide the right care, which will have a positive impact on the child's recovery process.

Prevention of rotavirus infection

How can you protect yourself or your child from rotavirus infection? There are two main methods for this. The first is the observance of elementary hygiene standards:

• Regular hand washing (required before eating/water);
• Boiling of any consumed water (except for bottled water);
• Thorough washing with soap of any consumed vegetables, fruits and berries, followed by rinsing them with boiling water.

In most cases, these simple rules help to avoid the development of the disease. However, it is quite difficult to make sure that the child adheres to them. As a special prophylaxis, which can significantly reduce the likelihood of developing pathology and completely eliminate the occurrence of severe forms of infection, vaccination can be additionally used.

Currently, 2 vaccines against this disease are available in Russia - these are RoTatek and Rotarix. They are only effective on children under two years of age. The drugs are produced in Europe, where they have passed multiple clinical trials and have proven their effectiveness. They are not included in the vaccination schedule, so for setting the child they need to be redeemed on their own. The average cost of a vaccine is about 5,000 rubles.

FAQ

Can cola treat rotavirus infection?

Since cola is considered a harmful carbonated drink, doctors (who have never experienced all the charms of rotavirus and the effectiveness of cola) do not recommend using this drink as a means of therapy. But, to stop vomiting and relieve nausea against the background of a rotavirus infection, Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola are very effective. That is, it can be used at the first sign of infection.

If a child once had rotavirus, can he get sick again?

Yes. After this disease, immunity is formed, but it lasts only a few weeks. Vaccines are needed to build strong immunity.

How dangerous is this disease?

With timely and adequate treatment, the prognosis of the disease is favorable. As a rule, protracted infection in young children, which occurs with severe dehydration, is dangerous.

Do I need to drink Enterofuril or other antimicrobial agents?

Antibiotics are not indicated for this pathology, but Enterofuril (Ersefuril, Nifuroxazide, Ecofuril, Stopdiar) is prescribed to reduce the growth of opportunistic bacterial flora that blooms against the backdrop of a weakening of the intestinal immune response by the virus.

Should I take painkillers for colic in the abdomen?

Severe pain that requires medication is not characteristic of rotavirus infection. The appearance of this symptom is a reason to seek medical help.

• How infection occurs
• Symptoms
• The onset of the disease
• Treatment
• Complications
• Prevention
• Rotavirus vaccine

Among the people behind the rotavirus infection, the name "intestinal" or "stomach" flu has long taken root. This disease is caused by a completely different type of virus, but often has the initial symptoms of SARS.

How infection occurs

Rotavirus infection in children occurs only in case of contact with the pathogen. It occurs through dirty hands, toys, after touching doorknobs, handrails, or eating food from an infected person's dishes. There are still some controversial points on the issue of transmission of the virus - many defend the possibility of infection by airborne droplets.

Children are at high risk of becoming infected during preschool or educational institution, on the playground, for a walk or in an after-school group. There is a possibility of infection when drinking unboiled water with virus virions or when swimming in water bodies.

Parents should try to protect their child from rotavirus infection by developing proper hygiene skills, strengthening immunity and avoiding contact with infected people. We must not forget that you can get infected from a visually healthy adult virus carrier, so high-quality prevention can prevent infection.

Many of the parents do not even know how many days the disease lasts and how to treat rotavirus in children of different ages. They are also not familiar with the symptoms, although the disease is quite dangerous and fraught with serious consequences, even death.

Note. This disease is most dangerous for children from 6 to 24 months, with artificial feeding - from birth.

Symptoms

Rotavirus in children is always more aggressive than in adults. Many adults may not even realize that they are sick - a mild cold and an isolated case of diarrhea are in no way associated with dangerous disease for children. Such people become virus carriers, infecting others.

Symptoms in children under one year old can be extremely acute. Older children are much easier to tolerate the disease, they have fewer vomiting attacks, and diarrhea is less pronounced.

There is no rash during the disease, if emerging rashes are found, it is urgent to notify the doctor about their presence. This may signal other, more dangerous infections.

Rotavirus is characterized by 3 types of symptoms: gastrointestinal, catarrhal and intoxication.

Gastrointestinal:

• vomit;
• diarrhea (diarrhea);
• gas formation;
• moderate abdominal pain.

Catarrhal:

• sore throat and redness of the pharynx;
• fever, redness of the eyes;
• swelling of the tonsils, slight cough, runny nose.

Intoxication:

• lethargy, drowsiness;
• lack of appetite;
• severe immobility;
• the smell of acetone from the sick.

In children with rotavirus infection, the temperature often jumps to 40°C, but in most cases it fluctuates between 38.5-39.7°C. Vomiting (only in the first 2 days of the acute period) may be single or occur after each fluid intake. Fetid diarrhea is also variable - loose stools are possible from 5-7 times to 20 in severe cases of the disease.

These symptoms do not appear immediately, but increase as the disease progresses. You need to know how the infection begins to manifest itself - in different children it can give different symptoms. One baby will be lethargic without intestinal disorders, the other may immediately demonstrate uncontrollable vomiting.

The onset of the disease

The incubation period for most rotaviruses is 1 to 5 days, often less than 24 hours. The timing depends on the age of the baby, his immunity and the volume of the attacked virus. Diagnosis can be made accurately with a stool test. medical institution or using a rota test sold in pharmacies.

The initial stages of the disease are divided into three types:

1. Cold.
2. Classic.
3. Intoxication.

Often, the disease at first disguises itself as an acute respiratory disease, a common cold. There is a slight cough, nasal congestion or redness of the pharynx, disorders in the digestive tract begin after 2-3 days. In the second scenario, gastrointestinal disorders immediately begin to appear in babies.

General intoxication in the third form of the onset of the disease occurs without fever, the baby is either lethargic or too excited, the nasopharynx is normal, but abdominal pain soon joins. If a baby has lethargy for no particular reason, you should be on your guard - the intoxication onset of the disease is most often observed in such children.

Attention! Adults and teenagers are less susceptible to the disease due to the higher acidity of gastric juice. Symptoms in case of infection are erased, loose stools 1-2 times, vomiting may be absent, but such a person becomes a carrier of the infection.

Parents should be aware of all the signs of rotavirus infection and remember that the disease not only begins in different ways - it is also extremely contagious. They also need to understand how to treat a rotavirus infection in a child and not take this disease lightly.

Treatment

Rotavirus infection can show a different course of the disease, but the whole treatment consists of 2 actions - rehydration and reduction of virus activity. Often the treatment of rotavirus in children may require the appointment of antipyretic drugs. Such a medicine should be taken at a temperature higher than 38.5 ° C and avoid the use of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).

Attention! Illiterate treatment at home without resorting to specialists is fraught with the appearance of dangerous complications and the likelihood of death.

The treatment regimen depends on the severity of the disease, the age of the patient and location, but always includes antiviral drugs and plenty of fluids. Also prescribe absorbent agents that reduce intoxication of the body. Treatment can take place both at home and in a hospital.

Outpatient

Treatment at home necessarily requires contact with doctors. As prescribed by the doctor, the following groups of drugs are used:

1. Antiviral - Viferon, Interferon.
2. Rehydration - Regidron, Gluxonal.
3. Absorbent - Enterosgel, Smecta.
4. Antidiarrheals antibacterial agents- Enterofuril, Enterol.
5. Pro- and prebiotics - Linex, Hilak.

Without consulting a doctor, it is undesirable to give any medications, with the exception of absorbent ones. Before the doctor's examination, it is better to drink the patient with plain boiled water.

Antidiarrheals and drugs to restore microflora are not always prescribed during the acute period. After its completion, along with beneficial bacteria, enzyme preparations are sometimes prescribed - Pancreatin, Creon.

Important! It is strictly forbidden to give antidiarrheal drugs to an infected person without a doctor's prescription. Also, in the absence of direct indications, antibiotics should not be taken. They do not affect the virus, but can harm the intestinal microflora. They are prescribed only with an obvious or diagnosed bacterial infection.

Parents believe that with home treatment it is enough to know how long the rotavirus infection lasts to make sure that the disease is overcome. This is the wrong approach - recovery can only be diagnosed by a second test for the absence of rotavirus.

Often parents specify how many times children get sick with rotavirus, because there is the concept of a “second wave” - after 5-7 days the patient recovers, and after 1-3 days the symptoms reappear. In the infectious diseases hospital, they always do an analysis at discharge to exclude this phenomenon.

Treatment in a hospital

The younger the baby, the more likely it is to get into the hospital - for them, the disease is most dangerous. Severe cases and children with severe dehydration are also admitted to the hospital. In other cases, treatment at home is acceptable, but all residents must be extremely careful and be sure to be tested for the absence of virus virions.

Advice! Do not neglect hospitalization for rotavirus infection - annually over 400,000 childhood deaths from this disease are recorded worldwide.

Not knowing how contagious a child is after rotavirus, some parents are in a hurry to leave the hospital as soon as possible. At the same time, the likelihood of infecting others still remains - the sick person is contagious from the first day until complete recovery. The most likely duration of treatment in the hospital is 4-7 days, followed by a study of feces for the content of virus virions in it.

The disease is divided into 3 periods:

1. Incubation - up to a maximum of 5 days.
2. Acute - uncomplicated 3-7 days.
3. Recovery - 4-5 days.

Being in the hospital for the entire duration of the passage is not necessary, but with severe dehydration it is vital. The final recovery is diagnosed by laboratory tests, and not by the improvement in the patient's well-being.

Folk ways

Various non-medical methods can also help the patient recover faster or more easily endure the disease. They can also help recover a child after rotavirus. They cannot be relied upon exclusively, but they can be used as an aid.

• dill water;
• decoction of St. John's wort;
• chamomile tea;
• unsweetened compote of dried fruits or raisins.

Some recommend taking a decoction of oak bark, but this remedy has a pronounced antidiarrheal effect, contraindicated in rotavirus infection. Many other recommended collections and decoctions also have an antidiarrheal effect - their use can be life-threatening due to excessive reproduction of the virus. special attention decoction of St. John's wort also deserves - children under 3 years old should not take it.

Wiping with water with the addition of vinegar or alcohol is advised even by pediatricians. The temperature during rotavirus infection goes astray badly, it can remain high for several days, and such procedures help to reduce it a little and make the patient feel better.

Complete treatment of rotavirus infection in children includes a mandatory diet. You need to know what you can eat when you are sick - proper nutrition the key to a speedy recovery.

Features of drinking and nutrition

If you do not know how to feed a child with a rotavirus infection, then great harm can be done. All dairy products must be excluded.

Formula-fed babies should be switched to lactose-free formulas. An exception is breast milk, but in case of critical dehydration, it is also prohibited. In order to avoid new bouts of vomiting, it is necessary to properly water the children.

Features of fluid intake:

1. Often and in small portions.
2. Around the clock, wake up - if sleeping.
3. Take breaks between fluid intakes.
4. Observe the gradual increase in the volume of drinking.

Babies during the acute period should be fed every few minutes with a spoon at intervals. Even if the baby is very thirsty, do not give more than 50 ml at a time. Before the next portion you need to pause. A uniform intake of fluid is much more important than food - the baby may refuse food for a while. In case of refusal, it is impossible to force-feed children, complete starvation is permissible.

In order to avoid the progression of the acetonemic state and the washing out of salts, a small amount of sugar and salt can be added to the drink. Special means such as Regidron are also acceptable. Plentiful drink - it is urgently necessary, in case of refusal of liquid, it is required intravenous administration in a hospital setting.

If the sick person does not refuse food, then it should be dietary. During the acute period, porridges on the water, mashed vegetable purees, rice and its decoction are allowed, chicken bouillon and crackers. A diet after a rotavirus infection should also be followed - the volume and density of food should be increased gradually. At first, dairy, fatty, fried, spicy and sweet should be avoided.

Complications

It is important to recognize rotavirus in a timely manner and eliminate negative consequences. Maximum control throughout the entire period of illness should be aimed at replenishing the lost volume of fluid.

Attention! If a child with rotavirus is on an outpatient basis, but responds to any fluid intake by vomiting, urgent hospitalization is necessary. Requires urgent recovery through droppers. Vomiting threatens with catastrophic dehydration, which can lead to death.

If in the first days after the rotavirus the child does not eat anything, do not worry too much and force-feed him. It is much more important to observe the drinking regime, offering frequent snacks from permitted foods, but without trying to force him to eat. Proper recovery from rotavirus infection minimizes the negative impact of the disease on health.

Parents should pay close attention to the well-being of children if there was severe dehydration and the appearance of a pronounced acetonemic state.

It is important to check the functioning of the kidneys, the following consequences are possible:

• Gasser syndrome.
• Infectious-toxic kidney.
• Acute renal failure.

If your stomach hurts after rotavirus, this is a reason to undergo an additional examination. The disease itself usually does not cause pain after recovery, but it can damage the intestines. If the pain is combined with dark stools or blood in the stool, then you need to urgently seek medical help.

In most cases, the transferred disease passes without consequences, but its course always causes severe stress for the body. To protect the child from rotavirus infection, timely prevention is necessary.

Prevention

Hygiene is considered the most important point of prevention. It is important to teach children from infancy to wash their hands after using the toilet, returning from a walk and before eating. It is necessary to exclude the use of raw water - chlorine cannot completely overcome rotavirus. Heat treatment of food should be sufficient, and washing of fruits and vegetables should be thorough. For children, it is better to rinse vegetables and fruits with boiling water before eating.

Particular attention should be paid to wet cleaning of the house and regular disinfection of children's toys, as well as the exclusion of contact with babies who have respiratory symptoms. Strengthening general immunity also applies to preventive measures. In case of illness, strong immunity will make it easier to transfer the infection.

There is also a vaccine against rotavirus, but it is not included in the list of mandatory vaccines. The decision on its application is made by the parents or guardians of the child.

Rotavirus vaccine

Many parents do not know if a child can get rotavirus again and after the first case of infection, they think about vaccination. After the illness, a long-term immunity is formed, which practically excludes re-infection. Secondarily, only people with poor health can get sick.

Two types of vaccines can protect children from rotavirus infection. They are practiced only in infants without the slightest sign of any disease from the age of 1.5 months. Both types of vaccine are relevant up to six months of age and are carried out in several stages. The Belgian drug "Rotarix" is produced in the form of two injections, the American "RotaTek" is used 3 times orally.

There is a lot of controversy about the need for this vaccination. It is not included in the list of mandatory vaccines, but you need to remember that rotavirus is highly contagious and can be life-threatening. In case of vomiting or diarrhea in a child, parents should be alert, if possible, conduct a rota test bought at a pharmacy, or immediately call a doctor.

Intestinal infection has not bypassed the attention of any person. Everyone (regardless of the state of immunity, gender and race) has suffered this disease at least once. And for those who were born quite recently, they still have to get sick with rotavirus.

Editor's word

The first first aid for suspected rotavirus in a child may be an enterosorbent - a drug that will bind and remove toxins from the body. However, not any of the sorbing agents is suitable for the smallest. According to the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Medical Devices (ANSM, France), the Smecta ® clay-based enterosorbent may contain lead impurities, so there is a risk of lead passing into the blood of children under 2 years of age when treated with this drug. As a result, doctors in France are not recommended to prescribe Smecta and generics to children under 2 years of age for the treatment of acute diarrhea, as well as to pregnant and lactating women. The Russian Union of Pediatric Centers has already sent out a warning to doctors from the French regulator, which says that instead of Smecta for children and pregnant women, it is recommended to use Russian drugs. For example, Enterosgel is recommended as the drug of first choice, which meets the main safety requirement - it works only in the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract, does not penetrate through the mucosa into the bloodstream.

The well-known pediatrician Yevgeny Komarovsky considers it his duty to tell parents what this disease is and how to act correctly when the child gets sick.

About the disease

Rotavirus infection is one of the varieties of acute intestinal infection. It is caused by a special type of virus - rotavirus, in the people this disease is often called "intestinal flu".

Yevgeny Komarovsky emphasizes that rotavirus has nothing to do with the influenza virus and any of its specific strains. Any influenza is able to multiply and exist only on the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. With rotavirus, everything is different, it “lives” in the small intestine, and therefore it is not very correct to call it the flu as a whole.

For the first time, a virus (under a microscope resembling a wheel with hubs and a rim, and therefore called “rota” - a wheel (lat.) was discovered in 1973 by Australian researchers. 98% of children under the age of 3 years have already had this disease at least once (according to The virus is transmitted by contact - fecal-oral, this is popularly called "dirty hands disease".

A baby can get infected from a sick person through toys, door handles, dishes, household items. The virus is extremely contagious. specific immunity to rotavirus, although it is produced, it almost does not matter, since this agent has a lot of strains and varieties. A person is attacked by completely different “modifications” of the rotavirus (more than 9 are known to science, and mutations are still ongoing).

All varieties of this virus are quite resistant to low temperatures, exposure to sunlight and air. For quite a long time, rotavirus survives in spring and sea water.

The incubation period is the time that passes after the virus enters the body, until the moment when the acute stage of the disease begins. This period of time varies from child to child.

The virus accumulates and replicates, usually within 3-7 days. The disease itself lasts about 2-3 days, at least 5 more days the body recovers after recovery.

The child is contagious all the time from the moment of infection until the end of the recovery period. Even if the baby is already feeling well, quite viable microparticles of the virus still continue to stand out with the feces.

That is why Komarovsky strongly does not recommend immediately after the child is better, send him to kindergarten or to school. This will certainly lead to mass infection in the children's team.

The likelihood of contracting rotavirus in no way depends on the cleanliness of the family. Even if the mother washes and vacuums everything several times a day, if she makes the child wash their hands with soap every hour, carefully monitors the quality of each product that falls on the table, does not allow drinking water of dubious origin - all this does not reduce the risk of getting sick with rotavirus.

Most often, the virus attacks children aged 6 months to 2 years. In general, children from birth to 5 years of age are at risk. In a newborn, this ailment happens somewhat less frequently, since the first six months after his birth, the child is favorably influenced by maternal “innate” immunity, which usually lasts just a maximum of six months. Then the baby becomes more vulnerable.

The World Health Organization cites the following figures: every day on our planet, about 125 million children become infected with rotavirus. Most recover fairly quickly and on their own. 2 million babies end up in hospitals, about 500 thousand toddlers die, but not from the rotavirus infection itself, but from severe complications that occur during its course.

Symptoms

Yevgeny Komarovsky claims that the vast majority of cases of unexplained diarrhea in children under three years of age are a manifestation of rotavirus infection. In other words, if the child ate everything he usually did, and he does not have signs food poisoning, then stool disorder in 99% of cases indicates an attack by this particular type of virus.

Rotavirus infection presents with watery diarrhea. Distinguishing it from poisoning (a disorder caused by bacteria) is quite simple - the main clue for parents should be precisely the consistency of feces. Mushy diarrhea is more common with food poisoning. Diarrhea "with water" is a viral diarrhea, and according to Yevgeny Komarovsky, there are no other options.

With viral diarrhea, the feces are grayish in color and very sharp bad smell. For 2-3 days, the contents of the pot acquire a clay consistency and a yellowish-gray color. The sour smell persists.

Rotavirus infection is characterized by a sudden acute onset - with fever, vomiting. Sometimes vomit may have a specific smell of acetone, similarly it may smell from the mouth of a child. At the next stage, enteritis and gastroenteritis develop, diarrhea (up to 10-12 trips to the toilet per day). Minor respiratory manifestations may appear - runny nose, sore throat, pain when swallowing, cough.

About treatment

Diarrhea from rotavirus infection usually resolves in 2-3 days, but carries a rather serious risk of dehydration. Almost all fatal cases that occurred with this disease became possible precisely because of the critical loss of fluid, severe dehydration. How younger child, the faster he develops dehydration, the more dangerous rotavirus is for him. The infection is most severe in infants.

A severe complication that rotavirus gives with severe dehydration is pneumonia. Many cases of dehydration are complicated by serious disorders of the nervous system. Rotavirus and dehydration are especially dangerous for underweight children.

The main thing that parents should learn to do is not even to determine the origin of the baby's diarrhea, but to be able to quickly assess whether the child has signs of dehydration. Evgeny Komarovsky recommends that in all cases of diarrhea in a small child, consult a doctor. But you can’t just sit still and do nothing - you need to carefully observe.

If the baby's tongue becomes dry, he begins to cry without tears, does not pee for more than 6 hours and practically does not sweat - this is a good reason for an urgent call to the ambulance. If the baby began to lose consciousness, his eyes “sunk down”, and his facial features “sharpened”, he has a high temperature - these are extremely dangerous symptoms, they indicate severe dehydration. The help of doctors is required immediately.

If dehydration begins, a child who cannot drink enough fluid to restore balance in the body needs to be given intravenous water. This will be the basis of hospital treatment.

If there are no signs of dehydration, parents may well be able to cope with rotavirus intestinal infection on their own. And here the main therapy will be to prevent the onset of dehydration. This child needs to drink. The more often, the better. Drinking should be neither cold nor hot, but exclusively at room temperature, since it is such a liquid that is absorbed as quickly as possible in the small intestine. If the baby refuses to drink in sips, he should be given a teaspoon and more often, but he must drink.

Further, Dr. Komarovsky advises giving special medicines that should be in the first-aid kit of every family that has babies. - means for oral rehydration (for example, Regidron, Humana Electrolyte). If there is no such medicine, it is not possible to buy it, Yevgeny Komarovsky recommends using a recipe approved by the World Health Organization: 2 tablespoons of sugar, a spoonful of salt and a spoonful of soda are taken per liter of water. The task of parents is to give drink to the child with this saline solution at any cost. If that doesn't work, it's best to call an ambulance right away.

First aid

In general, Komarovsky says, the algorithm of reasonable parental actions for childhood diarrhea should always look like this:

• Plentiful warm drink. Frequent and fractional. Plain water and saline solution. If a child pees every 3 hours, then he consumes enough liquid to prevent dehydration. If you can’t get drunk even with a disposable syringe without a needle, call ambulance.
• Place a small child on its side so that in the event of an attack of vomiting, it does not choke on vomit.
• Antipyretics- only if the temperature is above 38.5.
• Monitor the condition of the child, avoid dehydration. At the first symptoms of dehydration, call an ambulance.
• Don't feed. If it really asks - give liquid porridge or mashed potatoes in small quantities.

Before the doctor arrives, leave a diaper with feces or keep a sample of the contents of the pot to show it to the doctor. So the doctor will be able to diagnose the disease faster, and the likelihood of error will be reduced (rotavirus, for example, is very similar in initial stage for cholera).

The big mistake is giving your child antibiotics. The disease is of viral origin, and against viruses antibacterial drugs completely powerless. Treating a child with viral diarrhea with them is a real parental crime, since it not only does not bring benefits, but also increases the likelihood of complications.

Another mistake that can cost parents dearly is the unauthorized prescription of antidiarrheal drugs (for example, Enterofuril). With rotavirus, viral particles (more precisely, their microparticles) come out with feces. Therefore, to stop diarrhea means to prolong the disease, to leave particles of viruses in the small intestine, where they will continue to destroy useful cells for some time. It is not necessary to fight diarrhea, it is a protective mechanism of the body.

Another misconception is efficiency antiviral agents with intestinal infection. House call doctor big share likely to prescribe something antiviral, because, according to Komarovsky, not a single doctor wants to have long conversations about the benefits of drinking plenty of water and thereby take responsibility for the situation.

Whether or not to take the prescribed tablets or syrups is up to you. But Komarovsky recalls that it does not yet exist in nature antiviral drugs with clinically proven efficacy. Moreover, the effectiveness of these drugs against a specific pathogen - rotavirus has not been proven.

It is worth abandoning homeopathic remedies ("Anaferon", "Ocillococinum"). With their efficiency and proven action, everything is even more deplorable, and the purchase of such drugs, according to Evgeny Komarovsky, will become just an extra burden on the family budget.

Rotavirus vaccine

Many countries have already included vaccination against rotavirus intestinal infection in their mandatory National Immunization Schedules. In Russia, there is no such mandatory practice yet. Vaccination against rotavirus, according to Western experts, helps to reduce the incidence by 80% and reduces the risk of death by 45%. That is, infection remains possible, but the course of the disease will be easier.

Today in Russia you can get vaccinated against rotavirus, but only privately - in paid clinics. Two types of vaccine are used - the American "Rotatec" and the Belgian "Rotarix".

Both vaccines are taken by mouth (drops in the mouth). Both contain in their composition artificially weakened in laboratory conditions live rotavirus in small quantities.

In most cases, the vaccine does not cause allergic reactions And side effects, it is quite easily tolerated even by the smallest patients. Recommended terms of vaccination - from 1.5 months to six months. Older children should not be vaccinated. One of the vaccines is taken twice (with a break of 45 days), the second - in three doses (with similar breaks), and therefore it is better to do it at 2 and 4 months, and take the second vaccine according to the scheme - 2-4-5.5 months .

Naturally, vaccination will not be given to a child who is currently sick, and vaccination against rotavirus is contraindicated in babies with birth defects development of the gastrointestinal tract. No special preparation for vaccination against rotavirus is required.

During the acute phase of the disease, you should not feed the child, unless he asks for food himself.

A strict diet should be followed not only during treatment, but also for some time after recovery: completely exclude from the menu whole milk and dairy products, sweet fruits, pastries, meat, as well as fatty and fried foods. It is useful to eat cereals on the water, vegetable soups, white bread crackers, baked apples in the oven. You need to feed often and in small portions.

Very young children with rotavirus infection are not denied breast milk, dietary restrictions are not introduced, but they make sure that drinking is plentiful. Breast milk itself contains antiviral components provided by nature itself, which will help the baby in the process of recovery.

Occasionally, with a severe course of rotavirus infection in infants, due to the occurrence of an enzyme deficiency, intolerance or partial intolerance to breast milk may occur. In this case, you should reduce the number of breastfeedings and temporarily add lactose-free infant formula to the baby's diet (until complete recovery).

A child with rotavirus should not be put to bed. If he has a high temperature, then bed rest is necessary. In all other cases, he should lead a normal life - play, walk. Of course, you should stay away from the courtyard playground so as not to spread the rotavirus to other children, but a walk in a sparsely populated park or square will do you good.

Effective prevention of rotavirus, according to Komarovsky, should be vaccination. Only then you need to wash your hands, always with soap, wash vegetables and fruits, monitor the quality of the water that the child drinks. In fairness, the doctor notes that no hygiene tricks can guarantee a low probability of infection. Therefore, in developed and civilized countries, and in the countries of the "third world", the incidence of rotavirus is at the same high level.

If you are going to go to sea with a small child, Komarovsky strongly recommends the rotavirus vaccine. Recently, this intestinal infection has become quite widespread in resorts where children become infected with water. Most often, Rospotrebnadzor specialists "signal" about the unfavorable situation due to this disease on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, in the Crimea and on the coasts of Bulgaria.

Acute intestinal upset causes a huge number of microorganisms, but most often the disease occurs due to infection with rotavirus, which is popularly called intestinal or stomach flu, because it begins with the initial manifestations of SARS. However, the causative agent of the disease is a completely different virus. More than a billion people suffer from this disease every year on the planet. Children under 10 years of age are most susceptible to infection. Rotavirus infection in children, the symptoms and treatment of which parents should be aware of, is widespread and quite serious. The virus gets to adults when caring for sick babies.

Human digestive system very sensitive to low-quality products and liquids containing bacteria and toxins. That is why one should be careful about all manifestations intestinal syndrome and take action if suspected.
Characteristics of rotavirus

Rotavirus infection is a whole group of viruses - 9 types of pathogens, 3 of which can affect the small intestine. They survive for a long time environment: in water, on objects, clothes. Once in the human body and having successfully passed the acid barrier of the stomach, they reach the intestines, penetrate deep into the cells (enterocytes) and begin to reproduce.

An increase in their number contributes to the destruction of the cell, the released microorganisms are partially removed with feces, the rest spread to other cells. This is why signs of rotavirus increase rapidly unless serious treatment is started.

The disease usually occurs through contact with a sick person. The causative agents of rotavirus infection are highly contagious. They have only one way of spread - from an infected person. A huge number of microorganisms are excreted with the faeces of the patient.

To become infected, it is enough for them to be on their hands, clothes, bed linen, household items, telephones, doorknobs and from there migrate into the mouth, and a limited amount is enough. There is a version, which has not yet been proven and verified by anything, that the airborne way of getting the infection is also possible.

The appearance of a sick person in the house creates a very high probability of illness for other relatives. Impeccable care and observation of the patient at home does not guarantee the exclusion of a collective outbreak. Diseases are most susceptible to owners of professions that are closely related to communication with a large number of people (sellers, teachers, catering employees, water utilities). That is why failure to follow the rules of hygiene and prevention always creates a risk of infection with rotavirus.

In children, infection often occurs in a peer group - in a preschool or school, while walking or on the playground. The risk is created by the use of unboiled water and bathing in reservoirs. Infection can also occur, at first glance, from healthy person, which is a carrier. Parents are able to protect the baby from a dangerous pathology or weaken its consequences by teaching him elementary hygiene skills, strengthening natural immunity and protecting him from contact with the sick.

Symptoms of the disease

Manifestations of rotavirus in children under 5 years of age are usually very aggressive. Some adults carry the disease in mild form, without even realizing that small signs of a cold and a separate fact of diarrhea are associated with severe pathology. In the future, they turn out to be carriers of the infection, dangerous to others. The symptoms of rotavirus in infants are very severe.

In older children, the disease is not so difficult: the gag reflex is less, the bouts of diarrhea are not so pronounced. Rashes are not typical for this type of disease, their appearance warns of the symptoms of another disease, more dangerous, and requires an urgent visit to the doctor.

The characteristic manifestations of pathology are:

• gastrointestinal syndrome, expressed by a gag reflex, diarrhea, flatulence;
• catarrhal phenomena, manifested by redness and perspiration in the throat, elevated temperature, redness of the eyes, swollen tonsils, runny nose, cough;
• intoxication, showing signs of lethargy, drowsiness, refusal of food, immobility, acetone smell from the patient.

The temperature usually rises quite high with rotavirus: often up to 40 degrees, more often it ranges from 38.5 to 39.5. With a favorable course of the disease, this lasts about 3 days. Only in a severe form of pathology, characterized by significant poisoning, hyperthermia persists for a week. Symptoms of rotavirus in children do not appear immediately, but intensify during the course of the disease.

Pathology is usually accompanied by severe intoxication, with which the illness begins in infants. Babies become apathetic, almost do not move, act up for no reason, crying is weak, muffled, they eat lazily, often sweat. Older children, in addition to these signs, complain of headaches and dizziness.

Diarrhea is considered a very serious sign, especially in babies under 2 years old, who have loose stools up to 10 times a day or more. It usually has a watery consistency containing crumbs of mucus. Diarrhea continues for about 2 weeks, which often leads to dehydration (fluid loss) and thereby increased intoxication.

Babies up to a year suffer the most from repeated vomiting, which lasts up to 2 days and leads to dehydration. In older children, this syndrome rarely lasts longer than 1 day. Painful sensations in the abdomen are restrained, intensifying in the process of probing.

Symptoms of rotavirus infection in a 2-year-old child can be expressed in different ways: usually, with increasing age, the manifestations soften. Adults are much easier than children to endure the course of the disease: intoxication may not be at all, or it is not clearly expressed - a slight weakness and lack of appetite.

An increase in temperature to 38 degrees usually returns to normal within a day. Diarrhea is noted within 3-7 days and no more than five times. There may be no gag reflex or isolated cases. Teenagers carry infections like adults.

Children and adults have a number of alarming signals, the appearance of which should immediately call an ambulance. These signs confirm the severe course of rotavirus and prescribe hospitalization in a hospital, because the observation of manifestations of these symptoms in a sick child is very significant.

An extremely negative sign is the appearance of red blood in the stool, as well as a shiny, fetid consistency of feces, which is evidence of intestinal bleeding. In such a case, you should contact the experts.

An increase in the frequency of diarrhea up to ten times a day or repeated vomiting up to 7 times provoke dehydration and significantly increase the intoxication of the body. In this case, hospitalization in an infectious diseases hospital is recommended, where they help to compensate for the loss of fluid and electrolytes with a dropper.

Severe pain in the abdomen is not typical for typical flow diseases, which is why a noticeable increase in pathology can be a symptom of damage to the intestinal walls. The formation of rashes on the skin - small and rare red spots that appeared during the period of illness - are inherent in typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever, which often look like an ordinary rotavirus infection.

Complications

An important role in preventing negative consequences is played by the timely identification of rotavirus. All-round attention throughout the entire period of the disease should be paid to compensate for the lost fluid. If a baby, who is on home treatment, reacts to any fluid intake with a gag reflex, he needs urgent hospitalization and recovery with a dropper, since a sharp loss of fluid does not exclude a lethal outcome.

The refusal of the baby to eat in the first days of the pathology should not cause concern for parents, doctors do not recommend forcibly stuffing it. Of paramount importance is the observance of the drinking regimen. Unmistakable rehabilitation after rotavirus will help to avoid the negative impact of pathology on the health of the child.

With a serious loss of fluid, parents should focus on the condition of the baby and checking the functioning of his kidneys, since complications of their functions are likely, expressed in:

• Gasser's syndrome;
• infectious-toxic kidney;
• acute renal failure.

The disease usually does not cause pain in the abdomen. The appearance of such a pathology requires additional examination. A complication of infection is sometimes damage to the intestines, a sign of which is darkening of the stool, bloody staining of the feces, or its unpleasant odor. When receiving the right therapy, most cases of rotavirus end up safely, without consequences, but it is invariably a serious stress for the child's body.

Diagnosing an infection

A disease that has peculiar typical signs is easy to determine from the very beginning. The following symptoms distinguish it from other ailments:

• acute occurrence;
• year-round activity;
• no rash on the skin;
• short duration of high temperature;
• specificity clinical picture and symptoms.

Ordinary laboratory research – general analysis blood, urine, feces are not enough to confirm the diagnosis: metamorphoses in them are not entirely characteristic.

Testing for rotavirus

An absolutely accurate conclusion about the presence of an infection is possible using laboratory diagnostic methods. The source of virological study is the feces of a sick person, from which the culprit of the disease is isolated. The meaning of the analysis is to introduce the pathogen to chicken embryos and monitor its effect on these cells, which helps to establish the typical effect of the virus on the body.

Serological analysis is based on the detection of special antibodies produced by the body to protect against the pathogen. The detection of such proteins is one way to confirm the presence of rotavirus. Treatment of rotavirus infection in children should be carried out immediately after the initial diagnosis, without waiting for the results of the study from the laboratory. The therapeutic program can be adjusted and adapted to various options for the development of the disease.

Therapy and recovery

Parents should understand how to treat rotavirus infection in children. The activity of the causative agent of the disease seriously affects the symptoms and healing of the disease. Usually successful healing can be done at home. Only severe cases, threatening complications, require hospitalization. Unskilled outpatient treatment without the intervention of specialists threatens the occurrence of insidious consequences and the risk of death.

Rotavirus infection in children, the symptoms of which are known to parents, proceeds in different ways. Her therapy consists of two measures: rehydration (replenishing the lack of fluid) and reducing the activity of the pathogen. Often, babies need antipyretic drugs, they should be taken only if the temperature rises more than 38.5 degrees. Aspirin is strictly prohibited.

The treatment model is determined by the severity of the pathology and the age of the child, but invariably contains antiviral drugs and a sufficient amount of drinking. The appointment of absorbent agents that reduce poisoning of the body is recommended.

Outpatient treatment should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor who prescribes drugs of the necessary action:

• antivirus;
• rehydration;
• absorbent;
• antidiarrheal and antibacterial;
• probiotics and prebiotics.

Doctor's recommendations are necessary, since without a prescription you can not take any medications, except for absorbents. At the initial stage, it is not necessary to use antidiarrheal drugs. Upon completion of this stage, enzyme preparations are prescribed: Pancreatin, Creon.

In the absence of clear data, you should not drink antibiotics that do not affect viruses, but can harm the intestinal microflora. Their appointment is necessary with a refined diagnosis of the onset of the inflammatory process. The end of the disease cannot be stated depending on the duration of the course, the absence of rotavirus in the repeated laboratory analysis is considered recovery. In an infectious diseases clinic, before discharge, in order to exclude the fact of a repeated return of rotavirus, such an analysis will certainly be done.

The disease is most dangerous in the smallest. The younger the child, the greater the chance of getting him to the hospital. It is not recommended to ignore the direction for hospitalization, since about 400 thousand children die from this disease every year on the planet. Many parents rush to discharge the baby from the hospital home at the first sign of improvement, not realizing that a sick child is contagious from the first days to a complete cure. The optimal length of stay in the hospital is from 4 days to a week, after which a test for the presence of the virus is necessary.

The duration of the disease consists of 3 stages:

• incubation, lasting 5 days;
• acute, lasting 5 days;
• recovery, which takes from 4 to 5 days.

There is no need to stay in the hospital all this time, however, the decision on healing is not established after the child's well-being improves, but only according to the results of laboratory tests.

Folk methods

Non-traditional methods of healing, based on the recipes of traditional healers and the centuries-old experience of doctors, become additional means of therapy and recovery of the baby after a rotavirus infection, although you should not rely on these drugs alone. It is recommended to use infusions and decoctions:

• dill water;
• a decoction of St. John's wort, recommended only after 3 years;
• chamomile tea;
• compote with dried fruits and raisins without sugar.

A decoction of oak bark, which has an antidiarrheal effect, is contraindicated in rotavirus. The use of many recipes with a similar effect is dangerous to health and life due to the excessive spread of viruses.

Some folk remedies even doctors advise, for example, wiping with diluted vinegar or alcohol. This procedure reduces high temperature without the use of drugs and improves the well-being of the patient.

Features of clinical nutrition

Healing must begin with diet. Babies are fed as before - in the "on demand" mode, but at least 4-6 times a day. Artificial formulas are more suitable for lactose-free mixtures, which can regulate the condition of the intestines and reduce the duration of diarrhea. During the period of the disease, it is categorically impossible to introduce new types of complementary foods in order to avoid digestive disorders.

Older children and adults should limit or completely avoid the use of:

• any herbal products;
• bread and flour products;
• fatty, salty, spicy, spicy, fried foods;
• whole milk;
• broth.

Recent studies have shown that these types of food increase intestinal motility, which contributes to the persistence of diarrhea. During the period of illness, boiled dishes should be consumed in small portions.

Getting rid of rotavirus

The only way to cure the infection is to remove the microorganisms located on the walls of the intestine and destroying the structure of its cells. For this, sorbent agents are used, for example, activated charcoal and other medicines. Babies pick up medicines personally, this is due to the condition of the baby. Preference is given to medicines in the form of a syrup, solution. Tablets are usually crushed and dissolved in water.

Fighting dehydration and intoxication

Getting rid of fluid deficiency and toxins is an essential component of therapy, which makes it possible to alleviate the patient's well-being at any age. Compensation for the loss of water and essential minerals for the body are medications Regidron, Glucosolan, Gastrolit. The absence of such funds at home can be replaced at first with a solution of sugar, salt and soda, but it cannot be used for a long time due to a lack of trace elements in it.
Resumption of bowel functions

The disease partially suppresses beneficial bacteria necessary for digestion to work. This is why probiotics are added to the treatment during the recovery phase.

The youngest children, who suffer the disease very hard, need constant attention. It is very important for their recovery:

• observe proper nutrition;
• follow the doctor's orders;
• regularly change diapers (diapers);
• control the condition of the child.

Maintaining hygiene requirements helps prevent injury to the skin of the baby. Attentive attitude to the condition of the baby will allow you to notice the emerging dangerous signs in time and seek medical help in a timely manner. Most young patients who receive normal treatment and good care recover within a few days.

Rotavirus in pregnant women

The disease does not spare anyone, including infecting women who are expecting a baby. This type of infection is usually not dangerous during pregnancy, as it affects the intestines. The fetus is not affected by this virus. The main danger for the expectant mother is the loss of fluid, which affects the baby: it deprives the baby of oxygen, causes premature birth or miscarriage, in extreme cases, death.

Early antiviral therapy prevents undesirable consequences. Symptoms of rotavirus stop after 2-4 days without the use of antibiotics. The main treatment is the replacement of lost fluid in the body, rest and a strict regimen. A significant increase in temperature can be treated with physical methods - rubbing, compresses.

Frequently asked questions by parents can be answered in this article or on the website of Dr. Komarovsky, which contains photo and video materials about the treatment of the disease and patient reviews. There are 2 types of prophylactic vaccines against rotavirus available in our country, effective only for babies under 2 years old. They are not included in the vaccination calendar, so they are not given for free.

Rotavirus infection causes quite a serious illness, especially for children. It is popularly called the intestinal flu, because its manifestations resemble those of a cold, but it mostly affects the intestines. Infection occurs through dirty hands and contaminated objects. With normal therapy, the disease passes quickly enough and without consequences. Sick young children require special attention. The most important thing is to prevent dehydration of patients in order to protect against a possible fatal outcome.

Alexandra is a constant expert of the PupsFull portal. She writes articles on pregnancy, parenting and training, child care and child health.

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