- one of the most common diseases that children are most often exposed to. Another name for rotavirus infection is intestinal flu. The disease is accompanied by symptoms of gastroenteritis. It is important to be able to distinguish an infection from other diseases.
The infection enters the body from a patient or who is a carrier of the virus: during contact or when using infected things and objects.
Reproduction occurs in the mucous membrane, then excreted along with the feces. When the mucosa is damaged, the process of digestion of food is disrupted, which leads to diarrhea and dehydration.
The infection is transmitted mainly through food, unwashed hands. Bad habit nail biting can also cause rotavirus infection. Pathogenic microorganisms fall on the hands and actively multiply, accumulating under the nails.
Infection is most often observed in the spring-autumn period.
Eating unwashed vegetables and fruits can also trigger the development of intestinal flu. In summer, due to the high temperature, rotavirus can be in a passive state.It should be remembered that rotaviruses can be found in tap water, so drinking it can lead to infection.
Signs of the disease
The duration of the incubation period, i.e. from the moment the infection enters the body is 1-5 days.
The disease develops acutely and is manifested by the following symptoms:
- sharp, cramping abdominal pain
- repeated vomiting
- increase in body temperature
- malaise
- weakness
- diarrhea
- pallor of the skin
- dark colored urine
- Availability
Rotavirus infection is more common in children from 6 months to 1-2 years of age. Body temperature does not exceed 38 degrees, diarrhea is yellow, profuse with a characteristic unpleasant odor.
In addition to these symptoms, you can notice redness of the eyes and signs of a sore throat. These symptoms should be distinguished from food poisoning, cholera or salmonellosis.After 4-7 days, signs of infection disappear with proper and timely treatment. Usually, after rotavirus, the patient develops immunity, and reinfection is rare.
Rotavirus infection is dangerous due to dehydration due to profuse diarrhea.
In an adult, the symptoms of the disease are erased: diarrhea is observed, appetite decreases, body temperature rises slightly. Even with the latent nature of the course of the disease, a person is a carrier of the virus. Therefore, other family members can become infected with this infection. Patients usually consider such symptoms as food poisoning and carry the disease “on their feet”.
Analysis for rotavirus infection: preparation and collection of material
For the detection of rotavirus infection, they are handed over. No specific preparation is required for stool collection. Feces must not be collected after an enema, the use of rectal suppositories and laxatives.
It is important to collected material did not come into contact with urine and the toilet. Failure to follow this rule may result in inaccurate results.
For research, you will need at least 2-5 g of feces. Place the collected material in a sterile container. The container can be purchased at a pharmacy or use a small jar. First, it must be washed well and poured over with boiling water. In infants, stool is collected from the diaper using a sterile stick.
Feces should be delivered to the laboratory in the morning, and the container can be stored in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf for several hours.
Rotavirus can be diagnosed by examining urine and vomit. There is proteinuria, hematuria and leukocyturia.
With rotavirus infection, during the study of feces, the VP6 rotavirus antigen belonging to group A is determined. If there is no rotavirus in the feces, then the result will be negative, and if there is, then positive. For diagnosis, an enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) or a polymerase chain reaction () is performed.The result may be false positive or false negative, then the patient must retake.
Treatment of infection: basic methods
Babies are the most susceptible to rotavirus, so parents should call ambulance. Before the arrival of the medical team, it is necessary to give the baby frequent water to avoid fluid loss. When vomiting, the baby should be laid on its side so that it does not choke.
Treatment features:
- To prevent dehydration, the patient should drink as much as possible. Rehydration therapy includes the use of Regidron. The composition of this solution includes: sodium chloride, potassium chloride, glucose, sodium citrate. Dissolve the contents of the sachet in a liter of boiled warm water. The child should be given 50 ml every 30 minutes. An adult should drink the solution in small portions throughout the day. In addition to Regidron, you can use Oralit or Glucosolan. It is important to remember that severe dehydration can lead to hypovolemic shock.
- At a temperature, children are given antipyretic syrups, Paracetamol or Analgin. It makes no sense to put candles from the temperature, since they cause the urge to go to the toilet and do not give a positive effect. It should be remembered that the infection dies at a body temperature of 38 degrees and it is not necessary to knock it down.
- To get rid of intestinal flu, sorbents are prescribed: activated carbon, Smectite, Enterosgel, Sorbeks and others. These drugs have antidiarrheal and detoxifying properties. Sorbents bind and remove toxic substances from the body. Signs of dysbacteriosis stop and the patient's condition improves. If the child refuses to take the medicine, then it can be mixed with baby puree, porridge.
- Of the probiotics, Probifor, Bifidumbacterin, Atsilakt, etc. are prescribed. These drugs help restore the natural intestinal flora.
More information about rotavirus infection can be found in the video:
The patient's appetite is reduced and should not be forced to eat. You can drink jelly chicken bouillon. It is recommended to give liquid rice porridge cooked in water. Food should be taken in small portions so as not to provoke a gag reflex. It is allowed to eat vegetables that do not cause gas formation.
It is forbidden to give milk and dairy products to the child during treatment, as the growth of bacteria will increase.
Diet therapy involves eating stewed, boiled food. Fried and fatty foods are not allowed.
Self-medication at home is strictly prohibited. Do not use antidiarrheal and antiemetic drugs. The symptoms of rotavirus, such as diarrhea and vomiting, are the body's defense response and get rid of accumulated toxins and bacteria.
Preventive measures include the observance of sanitary and hygienic standards:
- Use only pure drinking water. Always boil before use.
- Always wash your hands with soap and water after going to the toilet, before eating and after going outside.
- When eating fruits and vegetables, they should be washed well and preferably scalded with boiling water.
- Baby pacifiers, feeding jars, it is important to boil after use.
With symptoms of rotavirus infection, the patient should be isolated for 7-10 days until complete recovery. With a mild infection, treatment is carried out at home under the supervision of a doctor. The patient should have their own cutlery, towels and other things. In severe cases, the patient is hospitalized in an infectious diseases hospital.
After recovery, it is necessary to wash all the things of the child and carry out general cleaning in the house.If sanitary and hygienic rules are observed, the occurrence of rotavirus infection can be avoided.
Intestinal infections of the child: rotavirus
Against the background of complete health, the child suddenly begins an acute intestinal disorder: vomiting, loose stools and fever. Most likely, this is an intestinal infection - rotavirus. How to treat a child? Consulting pediatrician Inna Danilova.
The causative agent of the disease - rotavirus - multiplies in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Usually, at a high temperature, symptoms of gastroenteritis appear. This is, first of all, vomiting, it can be indomitable, sometimes preventing the baby from even breathing. If the child is very small, a baby, this symptom can manifest itself in the form of profuse regurgitation. In older children, vomiting may be accompanied by abdominal pain. A viral infection is characterized by intoxication of the patient's body, which manifests itself in lethargy, weakness, malaise and lack of appetite. There is also a sharp deterioration in the stool with damage to the mucous membrane of the small intestine - the stool becomes watery, plentiful.
There is one nuance of the course of rotavirus infection that parents should be aware of. Doctors explain: the virus multiplies in the walls of the small intestine, the cells of which have villi that help digestion, primarily of carbohydrates; rotavirus breaks these villi and exfoliates them from mucosal cells, in connection with which polyenzymatic insufficiency develops, and above all, the normal process of digesting milk sugar is disturbed, because required amount lactase enzymes. This is very important for babies who are on breastfeeding, in almost 100% of cases they develop lactase deficiency. In other words: the body does not accept the only possible food - mother's milk.
Unfortunately, this consequence of the virus is much more difficult to fight than the clinical manifestations of the infection: indomitable vomiting and copious stools with large losses of water, electrolytes, sugars and salts. Dehydration, especially in a young child, can happen very quickly. Often, one hour is enough for the child's condition to deteriorate sharply if the necessary measures are not taken in time.
There are five groups of viruses (A, B, C, D, E). Most often, children get sick with group A virus, but clinically it is almost impossible to distinguish one group from another. Usually, specialists are interested in this from an epidemiological point of view, if it is necessary to examine children during major outbreaks of the disease in hospitals, maternity hospitals. Diagnosis of rotavirus infection is quite easy, but the possibility of bacterial infection should also be taken into account. intestinal infections, sometimes proceeding with a similar symptom complex (for example, salmonellosis). Therefore, infectious disease specialists recommend that if a child has vomiting and loose stools, it is imperative to pass a fecal analysis for the intestinal group.
If, when examining a child against the background of intestinal dysfunction, a slight nasal congestion, slight reddening of the pharynx, coughing are detected, then these symptoms only confirm the presence of a rotavirus infection. The duration of the disease is about a week. On the 5-7th day, a clinical improvement in the condition of a sick child is usually detected.
At the first symptoms of a rotavirus infection, you need to call a doctor. Try to calm the child and give him more clean water even if in very small portions.
How to avoid?
Many parents want to know where and how infection usually occurs in order to avoid risk and protect their child from such danger. This is very problematic, because, in general, the level of organization of sanitary and epidemiological protection in our country is quite low. The virus can be infected by the fecal-oral route, i.e. through dirty hands, unwashed fruits and vegetables, untreated water - these are the most common ways. However, studies conducted in hospitals have shown that the infection can also be contracted by airborne droplets.
As practice shows, there is a very high susceptibility to this virus: about 70% of children are infected by contact. It has been noticed that they get sick more often in autumn and winter, because rotavirus loves the cold. During a cold snap, outbreaks of diseases are observed even in summer.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to completely protect a child from rotavirus infection. The usual generally accepted rules of personal and home hygiene cannot be absolute guarantors of health. Rotavirus is very resistant even when sanitized and is not afraid of most cleaning products. Moreover, an adult or child who has been ill with them can be a carrier of the infection for about a month, and sometimes longer.
Babies are the most susceptible to infection. In addition, dehydration of the body can occur very quickly in them - within an hour and a half after the onset of vomiting and diarrhea. Each new intestinal disorder caused by rotavirus is much easier. However, the statistics are disappointing: sooner or later, every person becomes a victim of the insidious rotavirus. One involuntarily recalls a faded, old stand in a children's clinic, never tired of reminding everyone: "Cleanliness is the key to health!"
According to the frequency of diseases, rotavirus infection is in second place after SARS. The causative agent of the disease got its name from the Latin word rota - “wheel”, because virus particles under an electron microscope look like small wheels with a wide “hub”, twenty short “spokes” and a circular rim.
Rotaviruses on various environmental objects remain viable from 10–15 days to 1 month. (depending on temperature and humidity), in faeces - up to 7 months. Mostly children under the age of 1 year are ill, less often - up to 6 years; in adults, the disease is quite rare - in isolated cases.
What to feed?
We have already said that rotavirus infection is accompanied by lactase deficiency - the inability of small intestine enzymes to break down milk sugar. Therefore, during the acute phase of infection, it is undesirable for a child to consume dairy products.
Most often, all enzymatic functions are gradually restored. But sometimes there are cases of acute secondary lactase deficiency, when the baby even has to be weaned because of his inability to absorb mother's milk. However, to help mothers in pharmacies, there is a synthesized lactase enzyme, which, after consultation with a pediatrician, can be given to a child along with milk feeding. In this way, you will avoid interrupting breastfeeding, which is dangerous for the health of the baby.
From the child's diet, you should immediately exclude all foods that cause fermentation in the intestines: fruits, juices (the favorite drink of patients), fruit puree. When the peak of the disease has passed, it will be possible to give sparse cereals on the water with a small addition of milk and liquid mashed potatoes. Cured meat will also be acceptable.
The child suddenly developed uncontrollable vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, headache, fever. What to do? Of course, see a doctor! After all, the worst thing is dehydration, which occurs especially quickly in infants.
Call emergency child care immediately.
While the ambulance is on the way, make sure that the child's body does not lose precious moisture. Vomiting leaves a large amount of electrolytes and mineral salts. Therefore, despite the urge to vomit, let the child drink as much as possible. Even if the baby resists, persistently try to drink it from a teaspoon, pipette or syringe. A small amount of liquid that can enter the stomach will prevent the body from quickly losing water, because it will be absorbed very quickly. You can offer your child weakly brewed very sweet tea with a small amount of table salt, imperceptible to taste, but replenishing (albeit in small quantities) the salt lost by the body.
As for medications, you can give the child a solution of rehydron. This powder contains all the necessary elements, mineral salts and vitamins in order to support the body at such a critical moment. Take one sachet per liter of water for adult children and a quarter of a sachet per bottle for a baby. The baby should be placed on a barrel so that it does not choke on vomit.
Give your child some sorbent to drink (activated charcoal or one of the modern sorbents). Sorbents absorb toxins that cause any infection, and a certain amount of bubbling fluid that forms in the gastrointestinal tract against the background of infection.
It is imperative to take a long break in feeding (6-8-12 hours), because solid food in any form will cause a gag reflex.
If an ambulance arrives and is going to take you and your child to the hospital, then, most likely, more serious means are needed in the fight against dehydration. If the doctor assessed your condition as satisfactory and allowed you to stay at home, you should continue the treatment you have started and follow the doctor's recommendations.
After two or three days, after the infectious storm in the gastrointestinal tract subsides and the child's condition begins to improve, probiotics should be added to the treatment. This must be done in order to repopulate the child's intestines with beneficial bacteria.
Rotavirus infection is an infectious disease caused by rotaviruses. It is characterized by an acute onset, with the addition of symptoms of gastroenteritis and enteritis, together with the manifestation of a respiratory syndrome in the first days of the disease. Since pathogens attack the tissues of the small intestine, causing symptoms of disorders, it is often difficult to recognize rotavirus, so experts recommend getting tested for rotavirus infection.
Is the child often sick?
your child constantly sick?
A week in kindergarten (school), two weeks at home on sick leave?
Many factors are to blame for this. From bad ecology, to weakening of immunity with ANTIVIRAL DRUGS!
Yes, yes, you heard right! By stuffing your child with powerful synthetic drugs, you sometimes do more harm to a small organism.
In order to radically change the situation, it is necessary not to destroy the immune system, but to HELP IT ...
Ways of penetration of rotavirus into the human body
There are several options for the penetration of rotavirus into the body:
- By the fecal-oral route: it consists in neglecting the rules of hygiene after going to the toilet;
- Due to the use of water, without prior purification or boiling;
- After eating unwashed vegetables, berries or fruits;
- from an infected person.
Rotavirus infection is characterized by a fairly rapid spread and in the shortest possible time can affect a large number of people. The disease occurs more often in young children, under the age of five, which can be picked up in child care facilities.
Symptoms, as a rule, without specific treatment, disappear after 5-7 days from the moment of its manifestation. But despite this, the infection can be dangerous for people with a low immune system and a weak body. Also, babies are at risk of developing dehydration, which, without timely treatment and help, can be fatal. Therefore, one cannot do without an appropriate analysis for rotavirus.
Rotavirus infection is similar in clinical manifestations to various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, which makes it difficult to determine the correct diagnosis only on the basis of the existing symptoms. Most often, specialists prescribe a stool test for rotavirus at the very beginning of the disease. During this period, the virus is most active and is easily detected.
What symptoms will be the reason to be tested for rotavirus infection?
After the human body is affected by rotavirus, an asymptomatic period (incubation) begins, the duration of which ranges from 24 hours to 5 days.
The onset of the disease is manifested by an increase in temperature to 38.5 - 40 degrees with characteristic symptoms:
- Pain in the abdomen;
- Vomiting about four times a day (sometimes in the morning, before meals);
- There is no appetite;
- Lethargy and weakness;
Further, there is the development of signs of acute diarrhea with copious watery stools of a yellowish hue, has a sour smell. During the period of the most pronounced manifestation of infection, the stool comes out with impurities of mucous secretions and blood elements. With excessively frequent emptying, the patient develops acute dehydration of the body, which can cause death. Therefore, at the first symptoms of the disease, you should immediately seek medical help.
Why is my child's immune system weakened?
Many people are familiar with these situations:
- As soon as the season of colds begins - your child is bound to get sick and then the whole family...
- It seems that you are buying expensive drugs, but they only work while you are drinking them, and after a week or two baby gets sick again...
- Are you worried that your child's immune system is weak very often disease takes precedence over health ...
- Afraid of every sneeze or cough...
It is necessary to strengthen YOUR CHILD'S IMMUNITY!
The main symptoms of the resulting dehydration are loss of consciousness or a state of confusion, often there is a convulsive syndrome.
With rotavirus infection, symptoms characteristic of respiratory diseases appear:
- Nasal congestion;
- Sore throat when swallowing;
- Hyperemia of the eyes and throat.
After five to seven days, all manifestations of the disease disappear and improvement is noted. general condition. Having been ill once in a person, the formation of antibodies to the virus is noted, which in the future will prevent such an acute course when the body is affected by rotavirus.
Therefore, having had this disease in childhood, the symptoms in an adult will differ significantly. The clinical picture is manifested in a single liquid stool and an increase in temperature to subfebrile. For adult patients, an infectious disease is not a threat to life, but such patients become spreaders of rotavirus.
Time to test for rotavirus
Fecal analysis is carried out for rotavirus infection during the first two to four days from the moment the symptomatic picture appears. During this period, the highest concentration of the pathogen in the feces is noted.
After five days of illness, the amount of the viral agent in the stool gradually decreases and disappears completely a few days after the symptoms disappear. If you take tests after eight to nine days from the onset of the disease, it will not be possible to detect the causative agent of the infection, since during this period its concentration is too low.
How to properly prepare and collect tests for the detection of rotavirus infection?
To detect rotavirus in the patient's body, it is most often necessary to pass an analysis of fecal masses. Given laboratory research does not need specific preparation, it is enough to make sure before collecting the material that no treatment was carried out on the eve with the use of enemas, rectal suppositories and laxatives.
Rules for collecting feces for research:
- Before collecting the material, it should be excluded from touching it with the toilet bowl and urine, otherwise the result will be incorrect;
- The amount of material for a full-fledged study will need from two to five grams;
- In the pharmacy, you should purchase a special container for placing and transporting feces;
- In infants, tests are collected from the diaper using a sterile wand;
- The collected material must be sent to the laboratory in the morning;
- It is allowed to store the container in the refrigerator for no more than two hours.
Not only fecal analysis can confirm the presence of a rotavirus infection in the patient's body. Diagnosis is made by collecting urine or vomit samples. Urinalysis reveals proteinuria, hematuria, and a high concentration of leukocytes.
Examination of feces will help to identify the antigen of the VP6 rotavirus species belonging to group A. In the absence of rotavirus in the test material, the diagnostic response is negative, if present, a positive result, respectively.
To detect rotavirus, ELISA (enzymatic immunoassay) or PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is used. In some cases, the results of the diagnosis may be false, so the doctor will prescribe a retake of the tests.
The results of the analysis of feces for rotavirus infection will be known after 24 hours, after which the attending specialist can voice the diagnosis to the patient. Sometimes responses can be expected up to five days, depending on the diagnostic method and laboratory equipment conditions. Also today there are express tests, with the help of which the analyzes will be ready after 15-20 minutes, but this method is expensive and therefore used in emergency cases.
Therapeutic measures are prescribed immediately at the first symptoms, but when a pathogen is detected in the human body, they can be corrected.
It might be interesting:
If a child is constantly sick, his immunity DOES NOT WORK!
The human immune system is designed to resist viruses and bacteria. In babies, it is still not fully formed and does not work to its full potential. And then there's the parents "finish off" the immune system with antiviral agents, accustoming him to a relaxed state. The poor ecology and the wide distribution of different strains of the influenza virus make their contribution. It is necessary to temper and pump the immune system and you need to do this IMMEDIATELY! Rotavirus infection is acute illness, which affects the intestines and disables other body systems.
Most often they suffer from intestinal flu, but people are also not immune from it, since the disease is incredibly resistant to high and low temperatures, as well as to most disinfectants.
Most often, rotavirus affects a person with a weakened immune system. The causes of the virus are quite banal. Most often, the disease appears due to non-compliance with standard hygiene measures and food hygiene. Very often, unwashed vegetables and fruits, as well as dirty hands, lead to the appearance of intestinal flu.
Detecting and diagnosing rotavirus is quite simple, since this disease has a number of specific symptoms, namely:
- Vomit;
- Diarrhea;
- Heat;
- Abdominal pain;
- Weakness.
Additionally, rotavirus is characterized by severe fever and dehydration. The body temperature is kept within 38 degrees and does not go astray for several days.
However, the flu is not always the same. In some cases, the disease may manifest itself latently. Gradually, over time, the virus increases its pathogenic influence. The gastrointestinal tract is most severely affected by rotavirus.
For a more accurate diagnosis and appointment, it is necessary to undergo a full diagnostic study, which includes not only a clinical examination, but also laboratory tests. It is the analyzes that help to obtain a complete and general information about the existing disease.
It must be remembered that the emphasis on self-treatment may not provide the expected results. The symptoms of rotavirus infection are very similar to many other pathogenic conditions, such as poisoning.
What types of tests are given for rotavirus infection?
Laboratory tests can accurately detect the microbes of the virus in the human body.
General information obtained in the course of research on the disease helps to significantly improve the quality of treatment and prescribe the necessary drugs that will suppress the most aggressive symptoms of rotavirus.
Laboratory studies help to adequately assess the patient's condition and understand if there is an additional threat in his body. Comprehensive examination is the most exact method diagnostics, which will reduce the possibility of error to a minimum.
So, if a rotavirus infection is suspected, the patient is prescribed the following tests:
- Blood test;
- Analysis of urine;
- Analysis of feces;
- Differential analysis, which is based on laboratory and clinical data.
In most cases, such analyzes have to be done by the patient in the complex. However, it is possible that the gastroenterologist will prescribe 1-2 tests from the general list.
Blood
A blood test is the standard and most common procedure that will detect certain bacteria in the body. So, with rotavirus, indicators of leukocytosis are quickly replaced by leukopenia. Monocytosis, as well as lymphocytosis, are not excluded.
However, when passing, it should be remembered that the patient cannot objectively evaluate his results, since in each case they are individual. Thus, after receiving the results, the tests must be taken to the attending physician for further treatment.
Also, in addition, the patient can undergo an analysis of RTGA - the hemagglutination inhibition reaction and RSK - the complement fixation reaction.
These research manipulations make it possible to detect the virus in the patient's blood by detecting antibodies that begin to form to fight the disease.
However, these tests may not always be reliable, since protective antibodies in the body begin to appear quite late.
Urine
Helps detect red blood cells, protein and white blood cells. Specific indicators will indicate the presence of a norm or deviation.
With rotavirus infection, urine changes its color from normal light yellow to dark, which indicates the presence of pathogenic changes.
Special preparatory measures for the delivery of the analysis are not required.
So, it is enough to purchase a special pharmacy container and make sure that the collected material does not stand idle for more than a few hours. The analysis should get to the laboratory within the shortest possible time. This will allow you to more accurately determine the results and identify the activity of the virus.
AT without fail a few hours before the test, you can not drink alcohol, nicotine. It is also advisable to donate the material on an empty stomach.
Kal
It is final and done last, since traces of the virus begin to appear only on the 3rd day of illness.
To properly prepare for the analysis, you should adhere to the following rules:
- Exclude the intake and use of any drugs, laxatives and rectal suppositories. This will disrupt the composition of the material and change its performance.
- You can not do an enema a day before the test, as this will affect the receipt of data;
- Feces must be taken in a clean plastic container (special containers can be purchased at a pharmacy). The delivery of the material must be carried out no later than 3 hours after bowel movement. Thus, it is best to store the stool in the refrigerator until it arrives at the laboratory;
- The container must be signed and dated.
- The day before the test, you can not eat alcoholic products, as well as too fatty and spicy foods.
With rotavirus, the patient's stool changes. Its color becomes light, and the consistency is heterogeneous. There may be mucus and blood in the stool.
The results of the analysis become known in a day. Depending on the results obtained, treatment is prescribed.
Express test
The express test is a diagnostic test that you can do at home on your own. This method of detecting rotavirus is quite effective, but it does not involve self-treatment on the part of the patient.
An express test is carried out using a special device that can be purchased at a pharmacy. It may be called Rota-test or have a similar name.
To properly carry out the analysis, it is enough to follow the instructions. So, you need to take the feces and place them in the appropriate place, which is indicated on the test. When mixing feces with urine, the analysis is not performed or repeated again.
Within 10-15 minutes, the test will show the result. If the test shows two stripes, then this indicates the presence of a pathogen in the body. The device cannot be reused.
Differential Diagnosis
The differential diagnostic method is carried out taking into account clinical, laboratory data, as well as on the basis of an epidemiological history.
Given the fact that rotavirus infection can have a wide variety of etiologies, data are needed that will laboratory confirm the presence of the virus. This includes stool and blood tests.
In the process of research, it is necessary to take into account the possibility of the presence of cholera, and other food poisoning infections that occur due to the activity of pathogenic microorganisms.
Differential diagnosis of rotavirus infection is quite difficult if there is insufficient knowledge of the clinical picture. So, salmonella, unlike rotavirus, does not change the mucous membrane of the throat, however, other symptoms remain largely similar.
Bacteriological examination is carried out when taking blood, feces and vomit.
In some cases, rotavirus can resemble cholera, but the virus is inherently milder. Cholera is distinguished by Vibrio cholerae and NAG infections.
As for dysentery, everything is somewhat more complicated here. The disease is characterized by severe pain in the abdomen and the presence of muco-bloody stools. The main emphasis in the detection of the disease is on bacteriological research.
Prices
The cost of research services can vary greatly depending on the region where you live, as well as the type of laboratory you use.
If you are undergoing treatment in a public clinic, then laboratory services will cost you the minimum cost. If you decide to contact a private institution, then be prepared for the fact that the price of ordinary services can vary greatly.
So, on average, the cost of standard tests, which are necessary for the diagnosis of rotavirus infection, is assumed to be as follows:
- urinalysis - 250 rubles
- blood test - 400 rubles
- stool analysis - 360 rubles
If you decide to conduct an express test yourself, then in pharmacies its average cost will not exceed 300 rubles.
Rotavirus infection is a common disease, the main risk group is children. This name generically names all ailments that occur with symptoms of gastroenteritis in an acute form. Doctors also call it the stomach flu, as the virus infects the intestines. Infection can occur through the fecal-oral route, which is why children are the main risk group. It is enough to take something unclean into your mouth or an object that an already sick person has touched in order to infect your body.
Rotavirus infection is easy to diagnose. As a rule, doctors prescribe a series of tests. But this is in the presence of symptoms that are mandatory for this type of disease:
- nausea;
- problem stool;
- vomiting.
Abdominal pain and rashes in the mouth are possible.
Tests for diagnosing rotavirus infection
As mentioned above, rotavirus infection is a generalized term. In order to make a specific diagnosis, doctors prescribe a series of diagnostic procedures, this is called an analysis for rotavirus infection. Examine blood, feces and urine.
A blood test in the presence of this virus in the body shows the following indicators: moderate leukocytosis, quickly replaced by leukopenia. Lymphocytosis and monocytosis also occur, ESR is within the normal range, but exceptions occur. It is impossible to give exact numerical indicators of the analysis, since the normal composition of the blood is individual for each individual. Therefore, the results must be looked at by a doctor in order to competently advise.
Next comes the urine test, there is no need to prepare for the procedure, except that the urine should be placed in a special pharmacy container. The results of the disease display proteinuria, hematuria and leukocyturia, in some cases, the appearance of casts is possible.
The final, but most basic, is the analysis of feces for the presence of rotavirus infection. Doctors prescribe it last, since the maximum number of microbes of the virus in the feces appears on the third or fifth day. So it is possible to investigate the infection much more efficiently and more accurately. There are several important points to be aware of in order to properly collect a stool specimen for rotavirus testing:
- You can not use any drugs, including rectal suppositories and laxatives, as well as do an enema the day before collecting feces.
- Feces must be collected directly into a clean container so that it does not come into contact with external objects. It must be handed over to the laboratory a maximum of three hours after collection, this time the sample for analysis is best stored in the refrigerator.
- To avoid an error, it is worth signing the container and indicating the date - so you can be sure of the accuracy of the results.
During the peak of rotavirus infection in the body, mucus and blood may be present in the stool. The results of the analysis, as a rule, are ready in a day and are reported to the patient or his doctor in a short time. According to the collected data on the state of the body, treatment is prescribed.
