Author: Vrinda Iyengar
Rotavirus is a highly contagious disease that causes severe, watery diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain. It often spreads through the fecal-oral route, via contaminated hands, objects, surfaces, foods and drinks.
According to data from WastewaterSCAN, a national programs that tracks diseases through wastewater in municipal wastewater systems, rates of Rotavirus are high in the counties of Davis, Marin, Redwood City, San Jose and Fremont, and moderate in areas like San Francisco, Sunnyvale and Novato.
While everyone can be infected with Rotavirus, it is most common in children under 5 years of age, and it causes the most severe symptoms among children of this age group. It may lead to severe dehydration caused by very watery diarrhea, hospitalization, and even death.
Rotavirus is similar to the better-known norovirus, causing similar symptoms, but unlike norovirus, rotavirus primarily targets children under 5 years of age and is seasonal, with it being most prevalent during the winter and spring.
According to UCSF, around 50,000 infants are hospitalized with it each year. It is also highly contagious, and commonly spreads in crowded areas, like childcare facilities or hospitals.
Recent changes to vaccine recommendations from the Trump administration could mean that more parents are electing to not vaccinate their young children against rotavirus. However, the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics still recommend that most infants receive the vaccine to prevent severe infection.
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