|
Babies and children can get diarrhea in several ways. The most common cause is a wheel-shaped virus called the rotavirus.
Rotaviruses are common in Third World countries, where many children are severely malnourished. But they also occur in the United States, especially in inner cities where children may suffer from poorer health and hygiene.
Rotaviruses cause about 55,000 children each year in the United States to be hospitalized. More than 600,000 children worldwide die from rotaviruses. The incubation period for rotavirus disease is about two days.
The main symptoms of the disease are vomiting and watery diarrhea for three to eight days, often with fever and abdominal pain. Repeat infections tend to be less severe than the original infection.
Rotaviruses are mainly passed from human-to-human by fecal-oral contact. You can become infected with the virus by drinking contaminated water or food or by coming into contact with contaminated surfaces.
A child can get diarrhea from other causes, such as bacteria or parasites. A rotavirus infection can be determined by examining a stool sample. The rotavirus disease has a winter seasonal pattern, with annual epidemics from November to April. The highest rates of illness are among infants and young children. Most children in the US are infected by 2 years of age. Adults - especially the elderly - can also be infected. But for them, the disease tends to be mild.
Most cases of diarrhea can be handled at home without visiting the doctor. For people with healthy immune systems, rotavirus gastroenteritis usually lasts for only a few days.
Severe diarrhea disease in children is an important public health concern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages parents to learn more about managing severe diarrhea in infants and children. For preschoolers in particular, the CDC says parents should teach their children the importance of hand washing with soap to reduce the spread of the disease.
|
Related Articles
|
|
External Source
 |
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
|
|
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
Return to the previous page
|
