Rotavirus

Rotavirus is most common in your infants and young children. Children, even those who are vaccinated, may get infected and sick from rotavirus more than once. That is because neither natural infection with rotavirus nor vaccination provides full protection from future infections. Children who are not vaccinated usually have more severe symptoms the first time they get rotavirus disease. Vaccinated children are less likely to get sick from rotavirus.59 Symptoms usually start about 2 days after a person is exposed to rotavirus. Vomiting and watery diarrhea can last 3 to 8 days. Additional symptoms may include loss of appetite and dehydration (loss of body fluids), which can be especially dangerous for infants and young children. Symptoms of dehydration include:

 decreased urination

 dry mouth and throat

 feeling dizzy when standing up

 crying with few or no tears and

 unusual sleepiness or fussiness.60 People who are infected with rotavirus shed the virus in their stool (poop). This is how the virus gets into the environment and can infect other people (through contaminated food, surfaces, or unwashed hands). People shed rotavirus the most, and are more likely to infect others, when they have symptoms and during the first 3 days after they recover. People with rotavirus can also infect others before they have symptoms.“Children with rotavirus should be excluded from child care if the stool cannot be contained by diapers or toilet use.”