Rotavirus infection is defined as rotavirus, intestinal flu, rotavirus gastroenteritis.Rotavirus, getting into the human body, causes an infectious process that is characterized by high contagiousness, short incubation period and acute course.
Externally, the infection manifests itself into a state of intoxication, a lesion of the stomach and intestines, and severe dehydration.
Rotavirus infection affects children and adults, but unlike children, the symptoms of rotavirus in adults are mild. A person becomes contagious at the appearance of the first signs of the disease, and remains so until their complete disappearance (2-7 days).
Especially dangerous is the disease for young children (the immune system in a young child is much weaker than in an adult), as well as for adults with low immunity and elderly people.
Causes
What it is? The causative agent of the disease is rotavirus - a particle of microscopic size, covered with a three-layered shell and shaped like a wheel. Rotaviruses are resistant to environmental factors. Microbes do not die when exposed to low temperatures, ether, chlorine, formaldehyde, ultrasound. Their pathogenic properties of viruses are lost by prolonged boiling or treatment with alkalis and acids.
To catch rotavirus infection an adult can only from a person, since rotaviruses of animals are not dangerous to humans. The main ways of spreading the virus:
- contact-household(through household items, if the rules of personal hygiene are not respected - dirty hands, including);
- alimentary(together with food, poorly washed vegetables and fruits, when drinking contaminated water);
- airborne(at sneezing or coughing of the patient).
Viruses penetrate the human body, reach the small intestine and begin to multiply actively in enterocytes - the cells of the superficial epithelium. Microbes exert their pathogenic action, which leads to the destruction of mature cells of the intestine and replacement of them by the defective and undifferentiated. The processes of splitting, absorption and biosynthesis of certain enzymes are violated. Intermediate metabolic products from the small intestine enter the large intestine, the osmotic pressure rises and diarrhea develops.
If we consider a portion of the mucosa under the microscope, which is affected by rotavirus infection, then externally it will be smoothed, the villi are considerably shortened, and rotavirus inclusions are noticeable in the mucosa itself. You can see them best with an electron microscope - this greatly improves the diagnosis of the disease. Restores the shell of the intestine after about one to two months.
Symptoms of rotavirus infection
The disease includes an incubation period of about 5 days, an acute period lasting from 3 days to 1 week, and a recovery period lasting 4-5 days. This disease is considered childish, because the organisms of adults are more protected from rotaviruses. In an adult, the acidity of the gastric juice is higher and the amount of secretory IgA produced is higher.
Rotavirus infection is characterized by an acute onset - vomiting, a sharp rise in temperature, diarrhea, often a very characteristic stool - on the second, third day, gray-yellow and clay. In addition, most patients have a runny nose, redness in the throat, they experience pain when swallowing. In the acute period, there is no appetite, there is a state of decay.
The above symptoms are more typical of children. In adults, the symptoms of rotavirus infection often look like ordinary digestive upset. There may be a decrease in appetite, a loose stool, an increase in body temperature, which persist for a short time. Often rotavirus infection in adults occurs without any visible signs, however, they are contagious to others. If there is a sick person in a team or family, then the people around him begin to fall ill.
Differential diagnostics
Very often the diagnosis is made based on the symptoms and complaints of the patient. The most reliable method for diagnosing rotavirus infection is a specific analysis of feces (immunochromatography). Other studies are not indicative of rapid diagnosis.
Differentiate the rotavirus infection with diseases,having similar symptoms. These include:
- cholera;
- dysentery;
- esherichiosis;
- Gastrointestinal form of salmonellosis;
- intestinal yersiniosis;
- some types of protozoonoses (giardiasis, cryptosporoidosis and balantidiasis).
As a rule, in an adult human pathology proceeds without features, in the usual uncomplicated form. But in the case of untimely diagnosis, initiation of treatment and significant suppression of immunity, complications may occur.
Treatment of rotavirus infection in adults
Specific drugs, the action of which would be directed specifically at the destruction of rotavirus, does not exist.
In adults, complex therapeutic interventions are mainly prescribed for the purpose of symptomatic treatment, which is aimed at replenishing fluid losses in the body and combating intoxication. To do this, rehydration and detoxification therapy.
If the patients have reduced appetite, then it is not necessary to force them to eat, you can offer to drink home jelly from berries or chicken broth. Food and drink should be consumed in small portions so as not to provoke a vomiting attack. Do not eat any dairy products, as they are a good medium for the spread of pathogens.
Medication
As already mentioned, there is no special medical preparation for the treatment of rotavirus infection in adults. If the symptomatology has a pronounced character, then the drug treatment is focused on the elimination of specific symptoms. In view of the fact that the disease is contagious, at the time of treatmentthe patient must be isolated, thereby limiting the spread of rotavirus infection.
Painful sensations and spasms of the intestine can be removed with the help of an ordinary no-shpa. The temperature can be brought down when the mark is above 38 degrees, as most rotaviruses die at high temperature. To relieve heat, you can use antipyretic:
- Paracetamol;
- Aspirin;
- Analgin;
- Nurofen;
- Coldrex;
- Rince.
Getting rid of intoxication means taking sorbents, which absorb toxins and remove them from the body. For example:
- Smecta;
- Enterosgel;
- Polysorb;
- Activated carbon;
- White coal;
- Lifferan;
- Intravenous introduction of glucose with a colloidal solution.
Rehydration solution is necessary in case of frequent diarrhea and vomiting. Because of them, the body quickly loses fluid, and if the disease is accompanied by a high temperature, the risk of dehydration increases dramatically.
Therefore, for the preservation of fluid prescribe the drug rehydron - a powder that is dissolved in water and drunk in large (but limited) quantities in small sips every 10-15 minutes. If there is no rehydrone, you can include in the diet saline prepared independently at home. To force drinking is forcibly prohibited, as this provokes vomiting and a violation of the water-salt balance.
As you can see, if there is rotavirus infection, treatment in adults is not that difficult. However, only if you start it on time, you can count on the fact that the disease can be eliminated as soon as possible. Otherwise, as mentioned above, the risk of developing various complications is very high.
Restoration of microflora
After the disappearance of all symptoms of the disease, it is necessary to restore the intestinal microflora. Usually, they appoint Lineks or another probiotic. The course of treatment and dosage is set taking into account the individual characteristics of the organism.
Diet
Rotavirus infection completely excludes the use of such products as:
- fresh bread, pastry;
- canned food, sausage, cheese, smoked and raw fish;
- dairy and sour-milk products;
- pasta, barley, yak, millet;
- cabbage, garlic, onion, radish;
- chocolate.
If a person can eat, you can feed him with liquid chicken broth or rice porridge, cooked on water without adding oil. But you need to feed in small portions with interruptions, so as not to cause an attack of vomiting.
Prevention
To avoid the occurrence of rotavirus gastroenteritis, the following rules should be observed:
- carefully wash in the running water vegetables, fruits and citrus immediately before consumption;
- regularly monitor the cleanliness of the hands, and also keep the house clean;
- to eat only high-quality food;
- for drinking use boiled or bottled water.
Also, as an effective remedy against rotavirus, WHO recommends the provision of preventive vaccination.
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