Rotavirus infection sick people of all ages and not once. But almost 90% of children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years of age are necessarily infected with this infection. Especially dangerous is a disease for weakened newborns who can not get a full-fledged immune defense with mother's milk.
Rotavirus infection
The mechanism of disease transmission is fecal-oral. The incubation period is 1-3 days. Initially, there may be an influenza-like condition with pain and a sore throat.
Rotaviruses infect the villi of the small intestine. They reduce the work of special enzymes that break down polysaccharides. As a result, undigested food passes farther down the intestine, causing a sharp increase in water in the gut lumen: water is drawn from the tissues to dilute undigested food. In addition, inflammation develops in the intestine, and even the processed food and water can not be absorbed by the body. There is a temperature of up to 39 C, vomiting and profuse diarrhea.
Prophylaxis of rotavirus in children
All this leads to massive diarrhea and loss of water and salts. An adult can compensate for fluid loss and is more resistant to dehydration. For a child, this condition is catastrophic. Treatment of rotavirus infection pathogenetic. That is, it consists in replenishing the water and salt balance.
The clinic lasts 7 days, then the immune mechanisms turn on, and recovery comes. However, even in case of complete recovery, some children continue to release rotaviruses to the environment for almost 3 more weeks. Therefore, great importance should be given to the prevention of rotavirus infection in children.
Be sure to observe personal hygiene, wash hands, handle cutlery. Rotaviruses are resistant to acids, common detergents, low temperatures, but instantly die by boiling.
At present, antitroviral immunoglobulin for enteral use is used as a medicine for the prevention of rotavirus infection. Antibiotics for the prevention and treatment of rotavirus are not suitable: they act on bacteria, and the disease is caused by viruses.
However, only specialized medical institutions can correctly diagnose and find the causes of diarrhea, so do not try to treat the child yourself.