better hygiene = less cases of Rotovirus. Right?

[Mommy2Teagan]

So, Rotovirus is spread through fecal-oral route? FECAL-ORAL ROUTE! How does that even happen?? By people not washing their hands? How about we as a people learn to be more hygienic and nix the vaccine? Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that make sense?

[carriebft]

I read that most people in the world become infected with rotavirus at least once by the age of five. I don't think it's all about being clean

I think we are a pretty clean fam but my older kids have both gotten rota! I think sometimes it happens...you can try and try to wash and all that but sometimes really contagious ones like rota are gonna slip by.

[SaraLe6]

It is spread by coming in contact with feces or saliva of an infected person, yes, BUT, it is resistant to most common disinfectants and antibacterial soaps so it's a little more difficult to "wash away" then just being hygienic.

[Mommy2Teagan]

Originally Posted by SaraLe6

It is spread by coming in contact with feces or saliva of an infected person, yes, BUT, it is resistant to most common disinfectants and antibacterial soaps so it's a little more difficult to "wash away" then just being hygienic.

hmmmmmmm. Good to know!

[tanyalynn]

Thing is, it's all over the place, and there are a ton of other gastrointestinal viruses out there, all the various noroviruses spring to mind, but I don't even know if we have names for all the illnesses that cause vomiting and diarrhea.

Instead of focusing on one gastro virus, if doctors spent time teaching people how to support their kids through gastro illnesses (more than watch for signs of dehydration and call us), then a lot of illnesses could be addressed all at once. One of my biggest frustrations with the approach taken by those making the vaccine schedule.

[KimberlyD0]

Thow in a daycare or school setting and you make a farm of it

Both DD's got it within weeks of starting daycare. Lucky DH he has it now too, I had it last week. I lost 8 pounds in just 3 days!!!

SOOO not fun. I know how bad I felt, I feel horrible the kids went through that. It sucks.

I think that sanitation can probably help, but I think it takes a lot more then that. After all the center where the girls go to daycare is super strict about that stuff. Toys are even disinfected daily, but it still spreads like wild fire.

[luminesce]

It is VERY, VERY contagious. It only takes a few particles to make you sick, so it is pretty hard to control this one by hygiene alone.

[japonica]

Neither of my kids have had it and we're out and about a lot. My oldest has been in preschool since Sept. Maybe some places tend to have it more than others.

[carriebft]

It's very possible they have had it and you didn't know. the numbers really are like 95+% by 5 years.

[japonica]

That's interesting. Can they have it then and be totally asymptomatic? I've heard the horror stories of massive diarrhea and dehydration assumed that if you got it, then you'd know. My son has never had diarrhea. My daughter had one episode of diarrhea in her life so far (she's 4.5 years old) but then it turned out to be noro virus--the whole family ended up with it during an outbreak here in the city two years ago. She's was over it in a day while my husband and I...ugh, not pleasant and we had days of it. I just never knew about rotavirus with no visible symptoms...

[Ophelia]

Originally Posted by japonica

That's interesting. Can they have it then and be totally asymptomatic?

My understanding is it does not work quite like that. The first time someone gets rotavirus - generally when they are a baby or toddler - they'll have the full-blown (no pun intended) virus. Then each time the person is exposed to the virus, their body gets better at fighting it off. So, each subsequent list of symptoms when having the virus is less and less every time. So after a while, a person would be asymptomatic and show no symptoms.

Most people do get roto at least once in their lifetime and it's generally when they are children.

[japonica]

OK, but as my kids have never had rota diarrhea and yet 95% are supposed to have had it by age 5, then I guess they either 1) had it with no symptoms or 2) are in the 5% that never got it besides licking/touching every germy playgroup toy, doctor's office chair, airplane tray table, airport indoor playground...

[tanyalynn]

One thing I noticed about diarrheal illnesses was that my 1st child got them worse (and I got sick too) but my 2nd child, who in general got sick a whole lot, much more than my 1st, had very mild gastro illnesses. I'm guessing that my antibodies got a nice booster when I got sick with kiddo #1, so then kiddo #2 had more protection, and maybe he got one or two mild gastro illnesses while he was nursing, so he got some help from me and started making his own antibodies, so now that he's not nursing, he is still starting at a better spot.

With kids healthier than mine, that whole process could maybe be even more subtle. But hey, somebody's gotta be in the 5%, so that's possible too. But with kids that old, I'd expect, if nothing else, to have a lower level of complications because dehydration is so much less common.

[japonica]

Yea, who knows...someone's gotta be in the 5% right? LOL. I figure from the way people talk about rota that we'd definitely notice...not like it's something we'd miss...

[Full Heart]

Originally Posted by japonica

OK, but as my kids have never had rota diarrhea and yet 95% are supposed to have had it by age 5, then I guess they either 1) had it with no symptoms or 2) are in the 5% that never got it besides licking/touching every germy playgroup toy, doctor's office chair, airplane tray table, airport indoor playground...

Ditto. With 7 kids I think I would have seen it by now. My oldest had salmonella so I know it would be hard to miss something that explosive. And my kids are gross. The other day my 3 yr old was licking the window sill outside the dollar store .