Currently, the topic “Rotavirus infection in children, symptoms” is very relevant. Komarovsky urges parents to pay attention to this disease, because it is an acute infectious disease related to intestinal infections and characterized by damage to the gastrointestinal tract. Basically, a rotavirus infection occurs between the ages of 6 months and 3 years and in some cases leads to death.
First disease information
What is rotavirus infection? Komarovsky, answering this question, says that this is an infectious disease that has occurred in all our mothers, fathers, grandparents and will appear in our children and grandchildren. Mankind has been confronted with the manifestations and consequences of rotavirus infection since ancient times. For the first time, the causative agent causing the disease was discovered in 1973.
The virus was detected by an Australian researcher R. Bishop with the participation of colleagues. In 1979, experts of the World Health Organization gave the name to the pathogen - rotavirus. Creating a new term, experts took into account the appearance of the smallest non-cellular particles. Under the microscope, they look like round elements resembling wheels. That is why the term "rotavirus" was derived from the Latin word rota. Translated, it means "wheel."
Features of Rotaviruses
Pathogens from the Reoviridae family and the genus Rotavirus are non-cellular particles, due to the ingress of which the rotavirus infection develops in the human body. Komarovsky notes that absolutely all children are faced with this disease. The exception is not even those babies for which parents are very carefully looked after. No hygiene procedures, mopping and cleaning toys can save you from rotaviruses.
The thing is that pathogens are resistant to environmental factors. They are not afraid of low temperatures and drying. Viruses also withstand the effects of chloroform, ether, and ultrasound. The death of non-cellular particles occurs quickly when heated and almost instantly when boiled.
Speaking about rotaviruses, it is worth noting that the experts identified 9 stereotypes of these non-cellular particles. Some of them are pathogenic for humans (1–4 and 8–9). Stereotypes 5, 6 and 7 are isolated in various animals. For humans, these non-cellular particles pose no danger.
Rotavirus infection
The peak incidence of rotavirus infection occurs in autumn and winter. Most often, the disease is diagnosed in the period from December to February. This is due to the resistance of the virus to cold. The source of pathogens is man. Non-cellular particles in significant quantities are excreted in the feces from the body of those people who have rotavirus infection.
Komarovsky in one of his videos says that the transmission mechanism of rotaviruses is fecal-oral. The transmission routes are:
- food (unwashed foods);
- water (unboiled water);
- contact household (infected household items, dirty toys).
The maximum incidence falls on the age from six months to 3 years. Rotavirus infection can occur much later, when the child begins to attend preschool. Kids often become infected after contact with sick children, because the disease is highly contagious. In crumbs of the first months of life, rotavirus infection rarely occurs. This is explained by the receipt of immunity from the mother along with breast milk.
Symptoms of the disease
After the pathogens enter the body, the child begins the incubation period during which rotavirus infection does not occur. Komarovsky in his program emphasizes that the duration of this stage can be from 1 to 4 days. After the incubation period, the first symptoms occur:
- increase in body temperature;
- vomiting
- loose stools.
Body temperature usually rises to 37.5–39 degrees. At this level, it lasts for 2–4 days. In connection with this condition, the child's appetite disappears. A symptom such as vomiting appears. It can happen 1 or 2 times. In rare cases, repeated vomiting is observed over a couple of days. The main sign of rotavirus infection, as Dr. Komarovsky says, is loose stools. Most often, it is watery, has no pathological impurities and is observed for 3-6 days.
Type of infection, its severity and course
The disease in question has a classification. It is based on the distribution of the type, severity and course of the disease. So, experts distinguish:
- typical rotavirus infection;
- atypical rotavirus infection;
- virus carrier.
A typical variety of the disease, in turn, is divided into mild, moderate and severe forms. The leading syndrome is intestinal. The severity of rotavirus infection also depends on its severity.
The atypical variety includes the erased and asymptomatic forms. Clinical manifestations are mild or not observed at all. These are the easiest forms of infection.
Disease complications
Many parents are afraid of rotavirus infection in children, symptoms. Komarovsky says that in most cases the prognosis is favorable. The condition of some children worsens only due to the fact that their mothers and fathers do not know about possible complications, do not imagine what inaction can turn into.
A dangerous consequence of rotavirus infection is dehydration. With loose stools, the body loses water. Its volume can be significant with frequent diarrhea (the frequency of bowel movements with a mild form of rotavirus infection is 2–5 times a day, with a severe one - up to 20 times). Due to dehydration, the amount of urine released decreases, confusion occurs, blood pressure decreases, cyanosis is observed, the nervous system is affected, and convulsions occur. With the loss of 20–25% of water, death occurs.
Komarovsky about rotavirus infection says that it is still fraught with pneumonia. This complication does not develop in a sick child due to the fact that he became infected from someone at home or in a preschool. Pneumonia with rotavirus infection is caused by a deficiency of fluid in the body. Due to lack of water, the functioning of the lungs is impaired.
Rotavirus infection treatment
With this disease, it is possible to treat a child at home. The World Health Organization notes that the main method of therapy should be the restoration of fluid and electrolyte losses. Dehydration can be prevented by oral rehydration agents. They are sold in pharmacies in the form of powders.
If there is no such remedy, and the child has a rotavirus infection, Komarovsky treatment is advised to be carried out using a specially prepared solution. The following ingredients are required:
- 1 liter of water;
- 2 tbsp. l Sahara;
- 1 tsp salts;
- 1 tsp soda.
The child should drink the prepared product in sufficient quantities (i.e., he should urinate once every 3 hours). If the baby refuses liquid and cannot be drunk in any way, then parents should immediately consult a doctor. The patient will be hospitalized. In a hospital, the doctor will prescribe parenteral administration of drugs (into a vein) that prevent dehydration.
Antibiotic prescription
Dr. Komarovsky notes that with watery diarrhea, it is only necessary to replenish the lost fluid. Antibiotics are not prescribed for a sick child, because these drugs are not able to harm the viruses that cause the disease. These drugs only inhibit the growth of prokaryotic cells and protozoa.
Antibiotics are needed only in a few cases:
- in the presence of blood impurities in diarrhea;
- with cholera (acute intestinal infection caused by bacteria of the species Vibrio cholerae);
- diagnosed with giardiasis (a disease caused by protozoa) in combination with diarrhea lasting more than 2 weeks in a child.
Diet for rotavirus infection
Many mothers and fathers have heard that with a disease, dietary adjustments are necessary. That is why parents often ask questions about what constitutes a rotavirus infection, a diet. Komarovsky emphasizes that with an illness in the intestine, the activity of certain enzymes decreases. One of them is lactase. She is involved in the hydrolysis of lactose disaccharide contained in milk.
With rotavirus infection, dairy products (even breast milk) should be excluded from the menu of a small child, since the body will not be able to digest them. The patient's condition worsens. That is why experts prescribe low-lactose and lactose-free therapeutic nutritional mixtures. Dairy products should be introduced into the diet no earlier than 2-3 weeks after the onset of the disease.
In addition to milk, the following products are excluded from the diet of older children:
- sweets;
- fatty meats and fish;
- legumes;
- canned food.
In the early days of the disease, light broths, rice, semolina and buckwheat cereal, fresh unleavened cottage cheese, omelette will be useful. You can cook jelly, a decoction of rose hips. Gradually, the diet should be expanded by adding lactic acid products, vegetables, fruits, juices diluted with water.
Disease prevention
In order to prevent the child can be vaccinated against rotavirus infection. Komarovsky notes that 2 vaccines are used in the world. One of them is Rotarix. It contains only one rotavirus. The vaccine is obtained on the basis of a strain isolated from a baby with gastroenteritis. It is administered orally twice. The first vaccination is carried out at the age of 6 to 12 weeks. The second dose is administered after 4 weeks or a little later. By the age of 6 months, the baby should already be vaccinated.
The second vaccine is RotaTeq. It contains 5 genetically modified rotaviruses, which were obtained on the basis of bovine and parental human strains. This vaccine is also used orally. The number of recommended doses is 3 (the first is given to the child at 2 months, the second at 4 months, and the third at 6 months). Vaccination should begin no later than 12 weeks old and should be completed by 32 weeks.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that parents can learn a lot of cognitive information from a television program called "School of Doctor Komarovsky." Rotavirus infection is just considered in one of the issues. It says that in the world about 500 thousand children die every year from this disease. This disease is not incurable. It’s just that some parents don’t understand how serious the disease is and take the necessary measures too late.