Infants and children under 5 years old often have diarrhea symptoms, and this is sometimes considered normal because their immune systems are still developing. However, not every episode of diarrhea should be ignored, as diarrhea is a symptom of many different diseases with various causes. One of the causes of diarrhea is rotavirus infection.

What Is Rotavirus?

Rotavirus is a virus present in the infected stool and can be passed on and incubate for 2 days before any symptoms appear until 10 days after the symptoms go away. This virus can be transmitted easily through hand-to-mouth contact, even when the infected person has not shown any symptoms.

If you have rotavirus infections and do not wash your hands after using the toilet, changing diapers, or helping your child use the toilet, the virus can stick to every object you touch. When someone else touches your unwashed hands or a contaminated object and then puts their hand to their mouth, infection can easily occur. Rotavirus can survive on object surfaces that have not been cleaned with disinfectant, and this virus can remain alive for weeks or even months.

Rotavirus Symptoms

Symptoms of rotavirus infection in children are usually easy to spot, and they generally appear 2 days after the child is exposed to the virus.

These symptoms include:

• Severe diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Extreme tiredness
• High fever
• Child becomes fussy
• Dehydration
• Abdominal pain

Of these symptoms, dehydration is the most dangerous symptom for children. Therefore, if your child shows dehydration signs such as a dry mouth, crying with no tears, their diaper stays dry because no urine is coming out, and sunken eyes, you should immediately take your child to get emergency treatments.

Rotavirus Treatments

There is no medicine that can directly cure rotavirus infection. In general, symptoms last for about 3-8 days, and children infected with rotavirus usually recover within roughly 12 days.

However, treatment is still given to relieve symptoms. Doctors usually prescribe medication to reduce fever and recommend oral rehydration fluids to prevent dehydration, especially if diarrhea persists for more than a few days.

If there are signs of moderate to severe dehydration, your child may need to be hospitalized to receive intravenous fluids. You should also continue to give fluids in other forms, such as breast milk, water, or clear chicken soup broth, according to the child's age.

Doctors do not recommend prescribing anti-diarrheal medications to children, because these drugs can worsen their abdominal pain.

Because the death rate from diarrhea is still quite high, children are advised to receive the rotavirus vaccine. There are two types of rotavirus vaccines available in Indonesia:

• Rotateq: given in 3 doses, with the first dose at 6-14 weeks of age, the second dose are given 4-8 weeks later, and the third dose no later than 8 months of age.

   

• Rotarix: given in 2 doses, with the first dose at 10 weeks of age and the second dose at 14 weeks of age. Rotarix is given up to a maximum age of 6 months.

In addition to receiving the rotavirus vaccine, always wash your hands with clean water and soap after using the toilet, after changing your baby's diaper, and before preparing food.

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