Rotavirus outbreak underway in South Australia – often called “stomach” – There are at least 975 cases, compared with 475 cases at this time last year.
According to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System, the cases mainly occur in children under the age of four, followed by children aged five to nine.
When rotatingThe virus is considered a reportable disease, but there are other forms of “stomach bugs” that do not have to be reported to health authorities, which could mean the true number of cases in the community is much higher.
SA Health Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier explained that the reported numbers only represented whether children were present and samples had been sent to laboratories for testing.
That being said, she continued, “there are a lot of other people” who may have had gastric issues but the samples didn’t go in and so weren’t notified.
Viral gastroenteritis is spread when a person comes into contact with feces or vomit that carries the virus. Symptoms include mild fever, nausea and vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea.
Children can spread rotavirus up to two days before and eight days after diarrhea. Symptoms usually appear suddenly and usually last about three to seven days.
In severe cases, the disease can lead to severe dehydration requiring hospitalization.
Patients are advised to stay home for at least 24 hours after the last episode of diarrhea, and Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings are encouraged to follow policies and procedures and seek advice from: Staying healthy in childcare.