Contents
Rotavirus intestinal infection is an acute infectious disease that affects the human digestive system. In addition to the gastrointestinal tract, organs of the respiratory system may also be involved in the pathological process.
In adulthood, the disease is diagnosed less frequently than in children. However, cases of rotavirus infection in middle-aged and older people have been reported by physicians. Rotavirus infection is manifested by fever, redness of the throat, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea. Treatment for an uncomplicated course of the disease is carried out at home, but requires the implementation of some mandatory points, including: adequate rehydration, taking drugs containing enzymes, enterosorbents. At the discretion of the doctor, antiviral drugs may be prescribed.
Rotavirus infection, for its wide distribution, is rightly called intestinal flu or small cholera. In terms of prevalence, rotavirus infections are second only to SARS. About 40% of all cases are newborns and children under 3 years of age. More than 600 people worldwide die from the infection each year. As a person grows older, susceptibility to rotavirus infection decreases significantly, but the likelihood of the virus entering the body remains.
The disease is often characterized by outbreaks within the same family or community. Therefore, if there is a sick child in the house, then with a high degree of probability the rest of the family members will get sick. However, in adults, the disease most often occurs in a mild form and does not require hospitalization.
Causes of rotavirus infection in adults
Rotavirus infection in an adult develops after a viral particle from the Reoviridae family, genus Rotavirus, enters the body. In the host organism, the virus is able to create multiple combinations, which determines the wide strain diversity of rotaviruses that are released by a sick person into the external environment. However, more than 90% of all rotavirus infections in the world are accounted for by the following five strains: G1P8, G2P4, G4P8, G3P8, G9P8.
The source of the spread of the disease is an infected person who releases the virus into the external environment along with feces. The isolation of the virus begins even before the moment when the first signs of the disease develop in the infected. A person remains contagious even after the main manifestations of the infection are stopped. This continues up to 20 days from the moment of infection.
Since rotavirus infection is predominantly a childhood disease, it is children who infect an adult. Most often this happens during the care of parents for their sick children. However, it is still impossible to exclude another source of the spread of pathogenic microorganisms. Although cases of rotavirus infection are recorded throughout the year, the peak of the disease occurs in the spring and winter.
The main mechanism of infection transmission is fecal-oral. It can be implemented in various ways, among which the contact-household way prevails. The water and food way of transmission of the virus leads to the mass spread of the disease.
As for the question of the possibility of the virus spreading through the air (with dust or mucus particles), there is no consensus on this matter, and the question remains open.
So, rotavirus is an extremely contagious microorganism that can enter the external environment in only one way – with the feces of a sick person. The feces contain a huge amount of viruses, so they can easily end up on doorknobs, on a person’s hands, on his clothes, on household items, etc. From these surfaces, viruses are transferred to the oral cavity, reach the small intestine through the digestive tract, as a result which the disease develops. In order for infection to occur, a very small amount of viruses is required. Therefore, if someone in the family has an intestinal infection, the likelihood of its spread is extremely high.
In the risk group for infection with rotavirus infection, people of the following professions: catering workers, educators and teachers, water utility workers, sellers. Therefore, one should not think that rotavirus infection is a childhood disease. The possibility of infection exists throughout life. Viruses retain their vital activity during prolonged freezing, but quickly die when boiled. In the external environment, when in water, on food, in feces, viruses can live from 1 to 3 months. They show moderate resistance to disinfectants.
Symptoms of rotavirus infection in adults
The incubation period does not take long. Most often, it lasts from 15 hours to 5 days, but the average time for the manifestation of the first symptoms of the disease is 1-2 days after infection. The disease develops acutely, the peak of manifestation of its symptoms is observed after 12 hours.
All symptoms of rotavirus infection in adults are much easier than in children.
If the disease has an uncomplicated course, then it will be characterized by the following symptoms:
Intoxication of the body may be absent altogether, or be insignificant. This is manifested in an increase in weakness, a deterioration in appetite.
Body temperature rises, but rarely reaches febrile values. Most often, it remains within 38 ° C. A day later, the hyperthermic reaction disappears.
Diarrhea lasts from 3 days to a week. As a rule, it is limited to 5 episodes of loose stools per day, and may be accompanied by rumbling in the abdomen.
The stool acquires a mushy texture.
Pain in the abdomen is mild, proceeding like spasms. They are localized mainly in the navel and in the epigastric region.
Vomiting is most often absent, it can be single and moderate.
However, the disease does not always occur in adults in a mild form.
In some cases, the following symptoms may occur:
Severe intoxication of the body. A person becomes lethargic, he has pain and aches in the joints, sweating increases, appetite disappears, severe headaches bother him.
High body temperature. In the first 3 days from the onset of the disease, it can reach a revenge of 39 ° C and even higher. In severe cases of the disease, elevated body temperature can persist for up to a week.
Diarrhea in severe cases of the disease can occur up to 14-20 times per knock. The stool will be liquid, with foam and mucus. A sour smell emanates from it, the color of the stool is yellow or yellow-green. The more severe the diarrhea, the higher the risk of dehydration.
In 70% of patients, in addition to damage to the digestive tract, a respiratory syndrome develops. In this case, there is redness of the mucous membrane of the soft palate, runny nose, sore throat, inflammation of the posterior pharyngeal wall.
Vomiting is repeated several times a day and aggravates the course of the disease.
Pain in the abdomen is moderate, but palpation of the intestinal area will intensify.
If these signs of an intestinal infection occur, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Features of the course of rotavirus infection in debilitated patients
The gastric juice of an adult has an increased chemical activity compared to the gastric juice of a child. Therefore, bacteria and viruses are destroyed in it much faster. This is due to the fact that adults are less likely than children to suffer from intestinal infections. Moreover, even after infection has occurred, the disease is milder and rarely causes complications.
It should be taken into account that some people can carry a rotavirus infection quite hard.
These include:
People suffering from pathologies in the digestive system.
People who have recently had surgery and are in the recovery phase.
People who take Cytostatics.
People over the age of 60.
HIV-infected and immunocompromised people.
If rotavirus infection is diagnosed in patients at risk, then they should be under strict medical supervision. Provided that the disease is severe in them, hospitalization is required.
Dangerous Symptoms
Doctors distinguish a group of so-called dangerous symptoms of rotavirus infection. It does not matter if they occur in an adult or in a child, these symptoms require a visit to the doctor.
The following signs indicate the severe course of the infection and the need to place the patient in a hospital:
The appearance of blood in the feces, their staining in black. The feces may have a strong unpleasant odor, and the stool may acquire a metallic tint. All these signs indicate internal intestinal bleeding, which requires an emergency admission of the patient to the hospital.
Increased diarrhea up to 10 times a day, and vomiting up to 7 times a day. With such an intensive removal of fluid from the body, the toxic effect of viruses on the body is enhanced. The patient urgently requires intravenous replenishment of electrolytes and fluids.
Severe pain in the abdomen. In the classic course of rotavirus infection, abdominal pain is either absent or does not disturb the person too much. If the pain increases in intensity, there is a possibility that the intestinal wall is damaged.
The appearance of rashes on the body. Spots on the body may indicate typhus, which sometimes presents with symptoms similar to those of rotavirus infection.
Diagnosis of rotavirus infection
Such a disease as a rotavirus infection, the doctor may suspect only on the basis of a survey of the patient’s complaints and his external examination. However, standard laboratory methods are not enough to confirm the diagnosis. Blood and urine are taken from the patient for general and clinical analysis to determine the general state of his health. Feces are sent for a coprogram.
To confirm the presence of rotaviurs in the human body, its feces are sent for research on the entire intestinal group. This makes it possible to exclude diseases similar in symptoms: dysentery, salmonellosis, escherichiosis and other infections of the intestinal tract. Also shown is the detection of rotavirus antigen in feces using a latex agglutination reaction. It is this research method that is leading in terms of determining the disease.
Allows you to diagnose rotavirus infection with a serological blood test. The human body produces antibodies to fight infection. It is they that can be detected by the PCR method (genotyping of rotaviruses in the patient’s blood). ELISA, RSK and RTGA will be informative no earlier than 2 weeks after the onset of the disease, when the level of antibodies in the blood will increase several times.
Treatment of rotavirus infection
Treatment of rotavirus infection in adults is most often carried out on an outpatient basis. Hospitalization is required only when the disease is severe.
Diet
The first point in the implementation of the therapeutic regimen is the correction of nutrition.
Be sure to exclude the following foods from your diet:
Flour products.
Plant foods that contain coarse dietary fiber. This applies to fruits, vegetables, berries, dried fruits.
Salinity, smoked meats.
Fried and fatty foods.
Spices and seasonings, all sauces.
Whole milk.
Rich broths.
Alcoholic drinks.
The fact is that all these products stimulate the intestines, which means that diarrhea will have a protracted course.
Products recommended for use:
Slimy soups.
Grated lean meat.
Vegetable broths.
Boiled or steamed low-fat fish.
Omelet.
Mucous porridge.
Such products spare the irritated and inflamed intestines, contributing to the speedy recovery of the patient. You need to eat often, but in small portions.
Symptomatic and pathogenetic treatment
To speed up the elimination of viruses from the body and alleviate the patient’s condition, he may be recommended to take the following drugs [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]:
Removal of intoxication from the body is carried out by taking sorbents. These drugs have the ability to bind harmful substances in the intestinal lumen and bring them out. In addition, a number of sorbents can envelop the intestinal walls with a thin protective film that prevents viruses from destroying it.
Restoration of the water-salt balance of the body.
If a bacterial infection joins, then antibiotics are prescribed, depending on the type of specific microorganism. If a bacterial infection is not confirmed, then antibiotics are not prescribed for rotavirus infection.
To improve the function of digestion, the intake of enzymes is indicated.
To normalize the intestinal microflora, such probiotic preparations are prescribed.
It must be taken into account that multiple episodes of vomiting with rotavirus infection are rare. If it happens more than 4 times and lasts for 2 days, then the patient should be examined for other infections.
Home Treatment
Of course, intestinal infections are diseases that require a visit to a doctor.
However, if this is not possible, and the disease has an uncomplicated course, you can take the following steps yourself:
Take activated charcoal. For every 10 kg of body weight take one tablet.
Drink Smecta. 4 sachets are allowed per day.
Take Polysorb – 1-2 sachets.
Replenishment of fluid reserves, removal of intoxication
Replenishment of fluid reserves lost by the body is a prerequisite that must be observed by all patients without exception. In addition to water during diarrhea and vomiting, the body loses the salts and minerals it needs. Therefore, the only recommendation for all intestinal infections is to take Regidron or Gastrolit. These drugs are available in the form of a powder, which must be dissolved in clean boiled water and taken throughout the day.
If the drug was not found in the home medicine cabinet, then its analogue can be prepared independently. To do this, take 4 tbsp. l. sugar, a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of soda. All these components are dissolved in a liter of water. However, preference should be given to pharmacy solutions enriched with useful substances.
Doctors call oral rehydration a procedure to replenish fluid reserves in the body. If you do not follow this point of treatment, then this threatens the development of complications. It is important to understand that rehydration agents do not affect stool frequency or character. They are intended only to prevent dehydration and prevent metabolic disorders in the body.
Prevention of rotavirus infection in adults
If an adult has been in contact with a patient with rotavirus infection, then he must take the following preventive measures to avoid infection:
Wash hands and face with soap. Viruses could settle on the skin, from which they can easily enter the mouth.
Change things. Clothes should be washed at high temperatures using detergent. All objects (ballpoint pens, mobile phone, bag, etc.) must be wiped with disinfectant solutions, such as alcohol or bleach.
For prophylactic purposes, you can take an immunomodulator drug, for example, Kagocel. This will activate the immune forces of the body and prevent the virus from gaining a foothold in the mucous membrane of the intestinal wall.
You need to pay special attention to your own health. It is necessary to control the stool, body temperature, monitor your own well-being. When the first symptoms of the disease appear, you should consult a doctor and inform him about the possibility of infection with rotaviruses.
Run a rota test. At the pharmacy, you can purchase a rapid test for the detection of rotavirus infection. It’s easy to make at home. If the result is positive, you should consult a doctor.
As for immunity, it is produced after a single infection, but it is very weak and short-lived. Therefore, the likelihood that a person may again become infected with the same strain of the virus in the near future remains high. Moreover, immunity is formed only in relation to one type of virus, and there are seven of them (those that can infect a person). Therefore, infection can be avoided only if sanitary and hygienic standards are carefully observed.
Since adults most often become infected from sick children, they need to know and follow the rules for caring for a child. First of all, it is high-quality disinfection. Wet cleaning in the room where the patient is located should be done 2-3 times a day. Moreover, the bathroom and toilet, which is visited by a child or an infected adult, are subject to disinfection. Things of the patient and his bed linen should be washed at high temperatures and ironed. All items of use are subject to treatment with boiling water or disinfectant solutions. Every few hours you need to ventilate the room in which the patient is located, and after any contact with him, you need to wash your hands.
An adult with a rotavirus infection is issued a sick leave for a period of one week to 10 days. At this time, he is a source of infection, so he must remain isolated from the team. In case of a complicated course of the disease, the sick leave can be extended up to 3 weeks or more, depending on the patient’s condition.
Pregnancy and rotavirus infection
If a pregnant woman is infected with rotaviruses, she should immediately inform the doctor. With a mild course of the disease, viruses practically do not penetrate into the bloodstream of the expectant mother, therefore they are unable to harm the child.
The danger is the complications of the disease in the form of diarrhea and vomiting, which threaten dehydration. Therefore, treatment should take place only under strict medical supervision. The main methods of influencing the body in the form of rehydration therapy, diet and taking probiotics are not contraindicated at any stage of pregnancy, so you should not panic when confirming the diagnosis. It is only important to follow all the recommendations of the doctor.