Rotavirus

The most common cause of infectious diarrhea (gastroenteritis) in young children and infants, one of several viruses that causes infections called stomach flu.

Any of a group of viruses associated with gastroenteritis in children.

An infectious virus that is the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in children. Most infected children develop symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and low-grade fever. Although fever and vomiting disappear after a few days, diarrhea may continue for several more days. Diarrhea and vomiting can make the body lose too much fluid, leading to dehydration, a potentially serious problem that may require hospitalization. A child suspected of being dehydrated should be seen by a doctor.

Any of a group of double-stranded RNA viruses that worldwide is the most common cause of dehydrating diarrhea in children. In the U.S. during the peak season (October through May), these viruses account for one third of all hospitalizations for diarrhea in children under five. Five hundred or so rotavirus-associated deaths are reported annually, most in children under age two. The incubation period of the disease is short (1 to 3 days), and the transmission is the fecal-oral route. The first effective vaccine was withdrawn when its use in infants was associated with intussusception. In 2005 the FDA approved a new rotavirus vaccine.