U.S. Sees Rise in Dangerous Childhood Virus Linked to Severe Vomiting and Diarrhea, Experts Warn
*Health experts are warning of a renewed rise in rotavirus across the United States, a highly contagious virus that can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea in infants and young children and, in some cases, lead to hospitalization due to rapid dehydration, NBC News reports. The illness has been detected at elevated levels since January, according […] The post U.S. Sees Rise in Dangerous Childhood Virus Linked to Severe Vomiting and Diarrhea, Experts Warn appeared first on EURweb | Black News, Culture, Entertainment & More.
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*Health experts are warning of a renewed rise in rotavirus across the United States, a highly contagious virus that can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea in infants and young children and, in some cases, lead to hospitalization due to rapid dehydration, NBC News reports.
The illness has been detected at elevated levels since January, according to wastewater monitoring data tracked by research programs from Stanford University and Emory University. In some regions, particularly the West and Midwest, infection levels continue to climb, raising concerns among pediatric specialists and epidemiologists.
Rotavirus spreads easily through contact with contaminated surfaces and hands before entering the mouth. Once infected, children often develop fever and vomiting first, followed by intense diarrhea that can occur more than 20 times a day. There is no direct cure, and treatment is limited to hydration and supportive care until the illness passes, typically within several days.
Medical experts say the virus is especially dangerous in young children because vomiting can make it extremely difficult to keep fluids down. “You vomit and vomit and vomit,” said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center and professor of pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “It’s very hard to rehydrate someone by mouth who’s vomiting and that’s why they end up coming into the hospital for intravenous fluids.”
Before vaccines were introduced, rotavirus caused hundreds of thousands of emergency room visits and tens of thousands of hospitalizations each year in the U.S. Today, vaccination has significantly reduced severe outcomes, but coverage is slipping. Nationally, about 73.8% of children are vaccinated, a rate that has declined in recent years.
Doctors say most hospitalized cases involve unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children. “Children who are not vaccinated are absolutely at higher risk of severe disease and the need for hospitalization,” one pediatric hospitalist noted.
Experts also emphasize that the virus is difficult to eliminate from surfaces, making prevention challenging without immunization. “The virus lives on surfaces for a long time,” said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado. “Even with washing your hands, it’s easy for the virus to remain.”
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The post U.S. Sees Rise in Dangerous Childhood Virus Linked to Severe Vomiting and Diarrhea, Experts Warn appeared first on EURweb | Black News, Culture, Entertainment & More.
