Rotavirus caused diarrhea at Charwanem

Team Herald

VALPOI:  ‘Rotavirus’ is diagnosed to be the cause of the diarrhea suffered by around 50 Charwanem villagers, last week.

Dr Gajanan Naik, the health officer of Valpoi Community Health Centre, said that the four samples sent to Manipal Centre for Virus Research has come positive for rotavirus.

However, he said, the four patients concerned were fine and have been discharged from the hospital. “Of late, no one has complained of diarrhea from Charwanem. We have already carried out protective measures and we along the Manipal Virology team held an outbreak investigation,” he added.

Last week, more than 50 villagers from Charwanem had complained of fever, loose motion and vomiting. Later, a team from Manipal Centre for Virus Research collected samples which tested positive for Rota Virus. Previously, the Manipal team had also diagnosed Monkey Fever and Shigellosis outbreak in Sattari taluka.

According to experts rotavirus is highly contagious and infects the digestive system causing a severe inflammation of the stomach (gastroenteritis). Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhoea and vomiting among infants and children.

The primary mode of transmission of rotavirus is when the child comes in contact with the stool of the infected person and then that infection goes inside mouth of child. This is known as a fecal-oral route of transmission. Children can transmit the virus when they play in the open defecation area and forget to wash their hands before eating or after using the toilet. 

Touching a surface that has been contaminated with rotavirus and then touching the mouth area can result in infection.

Even adults are at risk of rota virus, as when the caretaker of infected child comes in contact with stool and vomiting then the chances of getting infection to adults are very high. The symptoms of rotavirus are lethargy, dry cool skin, absence of tears when crying, dry or sticky mouth, sunken eyes or sunken fontanel (the soft spot on the head of infants), and extreme thirst which persist from 3 days to 9 days.