Parents urged to be alert for rotavirus during peak season in Australia

Doctors are suggesting parents be alert to persistent vomiting, diarrhoea and signs of dehydration in young babies caused by rotavirus, with the peak season for the disease now here.

Doctors are suggesting parents be alert to persistent vomiting, diarrhoea and signs of dehydration in young babies caused by rotavirus, with the peak season for the disease now here.1Approximately 10,000 Australian babies are hospitalised each year due to severe acute gastroenteritis associated with rotavirus infection 2.Despite this alarming figure, Dr Jim Buttery, from Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital’s Immunisation Centre for Research Excellence at the Murdoch Institute, said today that there was little awareness in the community about this infection.”Rotavirus, the most common cause of gastroenteritis in young children3, is a highly contagious disease that is difficult to prevent,4 and causes diarrhoea and vomiting in young children,” Dr Buttery said.5″Babies can experience profuse diarrhoea and can also suffer from fever and stomach pain. The illness can persist for up to eight days 5 and may lead to infants being severely dehydrated, requiring treatment in hospital.” 6Rotavirus is seen predominantly in the colder months and into early spring1 and most commonly affects children up to 24 months old, 3especially those who are in constant contact with other children such as in childcare.”Rotavirus can have a major impact on families7 – not only the anxiety with having a young baby dehydrated and being admitted to hospital in severe cases, but also the disruption to the family while caring for an infected baby,” Dr Buttery said.”It’s a significant illness that requires a lot of attention and can therefore greatly affect parents, particularly those who work.”10Professor Geoffrey Davidson, Director of the Centre for Paediatric and Adolescent Gastroenterology, Women and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide said that while parents were aware of gastroenteritis, they were not aware that rotavirus was the cause of the majority of cases of diarrhoea in young children.3.”Rotavirus is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in children under two 3and normally all children have had rotavirus by the age of five years,8,” Professor Davidson said. Rotavirus has a major economic impact on Australian healthcare resource utilisation in terms of the cost of hospitalisation, with the annual cost estimated to be $26 million. 9Professor Davidson said parents should look out for the following signs of dehydration in infants 11,12:- Fewer wet nappies- no tears when baby cries- high fever- dry mouth- weight loss- listlessness- sunken eyes “If you notice these symptoms or signs in your child you should encourage them to take regular sips of oral rehydration fluids which can be purchased from pharmacies,” Professor Davidson said.”If you are worried about your child or your child continues to display the symptoms of dehydration, immediately consult your GP for advice or visit your local emergency department.”References:1. Bishop RF, Masendycz PJ, Bugg HC et al., Epidemiological Petterns of Rotavirues Causing Severe Gastroenteritis in Young Children throughout Australia from 1993 to 1996 J Clin Microbiol 2001; 39(3): 1085-1091.2. Carlin J Chondros P, Masendycz P et al. Rotavirus infection and rates of hospitalisation for acute gastroenteritis in young children in Australia, 1993-1996. Med J Aust 1998; 169:252-256.). 3. Kirkwood C, Bogdanovic-Sakran N, Bishop R , Barnes G. Report of the Australian Rotavirus Surveillance Program 2003-2004 Commun Dis Intell 2004;28:481 – 485.4. Parashar UD, Bresee JS, Gentsch JR Glass RI Rotavirus. Emer Inf Dis 1998; 4(4): 561-570.5. Linhares AC & Bresee JS Rotavirus vaccines and vaccination in Latin America Pan Am J Pub Health 2000; 8(5): 305-330.6. Vesikari T, Karvonen A, Korhonen T Safety and Immunogenicity of RIX$$!$ live attenuated human rotavirus vaccine in adults, toddlers and previously uninfected infants. Vaccine 2004; 22: 2836-28427. Liddle JL, Burgess MA Gilbert GL et al., Rotavirus gastroenteritis: impact on young children, their families and the healthcare system. Med J Aust 1997; 167(6) 304-307.8. Parashar UD, Hummelman EG, Bresee JS et al., Global Illness and Deaths Caused by rotavirus Disease in Children Emer Inf Dis 2003; 9(5): 565-572.9. Carlin JB, et al. Cost effectiveness of rotavirus vaccination in Australia. Aust NZ J Public Health 1999; 23: 611 – 616 10. Clark et al A review of viral gastroenteritis Curr Opin Infect Dis 2004 17:461-46911. Therapeutic Guidelines, Gastrointestinal. Version 3 2002 pg 11712. www.mydr.com.au (dehydration), accessed September 2005.