Rotavirus is a virus that causes gastroenteritis, that is, an inflammation in the intestine’s inner lining, although it can also be caused by parasites or bacteria. This rotavirus infection is usually more common during the winter and spring. It is straightforward to spread, mainly in children, although it can be acquired by anyone regardless of age.
Being such a common virus, the immune system is strengthened, so the symptoms are becoming increasingly mild. For this reason, getting rotavirus is much less common in adults than in children. Although it is a common and easy-to-care virus, it is still a cause of death during the first years of an infant’s life.
If you think that you or your child are infected with this disorder, consult your family doctor. If you don’t know much about the subject, at FastlyHealwe, we want to offer you all the information about rotavirus: symptoms, treatment, and contagion.
Table of Contents
Main symptoms of rotavirus
The symptoms that appear when a person is infected with rotavirus will depend on the severity of the situation; however, the general symptoms are:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Fever
If the fever is high, there is vomiting, and abundant excretions, you should urgently consult a doctor.
Symptoms of gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus appear two days after the person has been infected with it. This time is called the incubation period, and it is the ideal time in which more infections occur since there are no symptoms, it is not aware that it is infected, and the necessary care is not provided.
If you find yourself going through this disease, it is essential to lower your fever as soon as possible and drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. The symptoms it presents include decreased urination, dry mouth, throat, and dizziness when standing. If you suffer from severe dehydration, you may experience fainting spells and shocks, so you must stay properly hydrated if you are experiencing gastroenteritis.
Treatment of gastroenteritis
It is essential that the treatment is controlled by a specialist since rotavirus cannot be eliminated with antibiotics since they only serve to treat diseases caused by bacteria and not by viruses.
As there is no antiviral drug that helps kill rotavirus and cure gastroenteritis, the treatment prescribed by the doctor will be limited to calming the symptoms and preventing dehydration, which is usually very typical with this pathology, especially in young children as this can be deadly for them.
Oral consumption is usually enough to stay hydrated; however, intravenous fluids are necessary to avoid reaching critical situations in severe cases. This is the primary treatment since rotavirus infections generally do not present other complications, and if it is well controlled in children, the prognosis is usually favorable.
Rotavirus infection contagion
Rotavirus infection is easy to spread from one person to another, so extreme care must be taken, especially in babies and young children. This is because the primary transmission is by the fecal-oral route, either by direct contamination or by using water contaminated by feces; It can also happen through the hands when sneezing on them, for example, or being in contact with dirty surfaces or objects and even through the respiratory system.
Ten trillion infectious particles can be found per gram of stool from people with this pathology, which is highly contagious since it only takes less than 100 of these particles for a person to become infected with it.
For the above, you must maintain good hygiene when you or a family member is infected with rotavirus; in this way, you can significantly prevent someone else from being infected.
How to prevent the spread of rotavirus?
To avoid getting a rotavirus infection, extreme care and hygiene are essential. For example, she is washing hands with soap and water before eating and after using the bathroom, properly cleaning utensils, and disinfecting and cooking food.
In addition, you must consume safe water, that is, totally drinkable water, and if not, you must boil or make it drinkable with two drops of bleach for each liter of water before consuming it.
On the other hand, maintaining breastfeeding during the first year of life considerably reduces the risk of contagion of rotavirus; however, vaccines must be given to prevent it when the pediatrician authorizes it.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Rotavirus: symptoms, treatment and contagion , we recommend that you enter our Digestive System category .

I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.