Severe Rotavirus Cases Rising In Florida

Florida health officials and pediatricians are warning that rotavirus is sending more young children in for care, with infants and toddlers facing the highest risk of severe illness. (cdc.gov) Rotavirus is a stomach virus that causes severe watery diarrhea and vomiting, and symptoms usually begin about two days after exposure and can last three to eight days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says dehydration can become dangerous quickly in babies and young children. (cdc.gov) The virus spreads when tiny stool particles get onto hands, food, toys, surfaces, or other objects and then into a child’s mouth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says children in childcare centers and other settings with many young children face higher exposure risk. (cdc.gov) The most severe disease is concentrated in unvaccinated children ages 3 months to 3 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Before vaccination began in the United States in 2006, rotavirus caused more than 200,000 emergency room visits and 55,000 to 70,000 hospitalizations in children each year. (cdc.gov) Rotavirus still follows a seasonal pattern in the United States, with infections more common in winter and spring and young children most likely to get sick from January through June. That timing has health officials watching clusters of vomiting and diarrhea more closely in April. (cdc.gov) Doctors do not have a specific antiviral medicine for rotavirus, so treatment usually centers on fluids and managing symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists decreased urination, dry mouth, few or no tears, unusual sleepiness, and dizziness on standing as dehydration warning signs. (cdc.gov) The main prevention tool is vaccination, given by mouth as drops during infancy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says babies should receive either a two-dose Rotarix series at 2 and 4 months or a three-dose RotaTeq series at 2, 4, and 6 months. (cdc.gov) Timing matters with this vaccine more than with many other childhood shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the first dose should be given before 15 weeks of age and all doses should be finished before 8 months. (cdc.gov) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says rotavirus vaccination prevents an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 hospitalizations among U.S. infants and young children each year. Children can still get infected after vaccination, but vaccinated children are less likely to become severely ill. (cdc.gov) For Florida parents, the practical question is whether a child with vomiting and diarrhea is staying hydrated. Public health guidance is unchanged: watch for dehydration, call a clinician for severe symptoms, and make sure infants are on schedule for the vaccine series. (cdc.gov)