rotavirus enteritis

Epidemiology

• most common cause of severe diarrhea among infants & young children
• by the age of 5, nearly every child in the world has been infected with rotavirus at least once
• immunity develops with infection & subsequent infections, if symptomatic, are less severe
• adults are rarely affected
• December through May in US, year round in developing countries
• begins in Southwest, spreads to Northeast

Clinical manifestations

• anorexia
• low-grade fever
• watery diarrhea
• vomiting
• abdominal cramps

Laboratory

• rotavirus RNA
• electron microscopy
• viral culture

Complications

• dehydration
• death

Management

• rehydration:
  • oral rehydration therapy may be attempted if child is cooperative
  • intravenous hydration if oral hydration insufficient
  • intravenous access may be difficult in volume-contracted child
• prevention:
  • rotovirus vaccine (RotaTeq or Rotarix)

More general terms

• viral enteritis

Additional terms

• Rotavirus