Signs and Symptoms of Rotavirus

Rotavirus is a viral illness that causes watery diarrhea and vomiting. This highly contagious infection is most common in babies and young children between three months and three years old.1 It’s the most common cause of severe diarrhea in kids under two and the primary cause of childhood gastroenteritis.23 Adults can also get rotavirus, but it’s usually milder, mainly affecting older and immunocompromised people.4

Because rotavirus can easily lead to dehydration and sometimes hospitalization, experts recommend vaccinating babies against the illness to reduce the severity of their symptoms and avoid complications.5 Some children may still become sick with rotavirus and pass it on to parents, siblings, peers, and other relatives. Understanding the symptoms is a helpful way to know when you should seek support from a healthcare provider.

Common Symptoms 

Rotavirus usually causes symptoms like watery diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, loss of appetite, and fever. Vomiting is often the first symptom for children who contract rotavirus. Watery diarrhea develops shortly after, and about 33% of children experience a fever.2 These symptoms usually begin 1-2 days after exposure to rotavirus and can last for 3-8 days.3 Symptoms are typically worse in younger children than in older children or adults.2

Less Common Symptoms

Severe vomiting and diarrhea can cause dehydration, which is extremely dangerous for people of all ages. Young children may be unable to communicate their needs to their parents or caregivers and require more fluids to recover from dehydration than adults do.6

Not every child with rotavirus will become dehydrated, but if you are caring for a child with the virus, it’s important to monitor them for signs of dehydration, including:31

• Less urination or fewer wet diapers
• Desire to drink more fluids
• Dry mouth or throat
• Crying without producing tears
• Dizziness
• Irritability
• Lethargy
• Sunken appearance around the eyes
• Rapid heartbeat

If your child has any of these symptoms or you think they may be dehydrated, it’s important to call their pediatrician for further guidance.

You can try to prevent dehydration in a child with rotavirus by ensuring they receive enough fluids. If they are vomiting or have no appetite, this may be difficult, but you can offer small amounts of water more frequently. Encourage them to drink at least one ounce (or 30 milliliters) of fluids every hour. If you have a baby under the age of 1 with rotavirus, offer them more frequent opportunities to nurse or drink formula from a bottle.37

Rare Symptoms 

Most children with rotavirus only experience gastrointestinal symptoms (symptoms that affect the stomach and intestines), but the virus can also affect other parts of the body. Some children experience neurological (brain-related) symptoms like headaches, seizures, and brain inflammation.2

Neurological complications are uncommon with rotavirus, but they can occur. Unlike other illnesses that can lead to seizures because of high or prolonged fevers, rotavirus seizures are not necessarily more common in kids with fevers.89 These seizures are sometimes called benign convulsions with mild gastroenteritis (stomach flu), and rotavirus is a common cause of these symptoms.10

Seizures in children can look like many different things, from convulsions and random repetitive movements to rhythmic jerking and loss of consciousness.11 When related to gastrointestinal illness, these seizures usually don’t last longer than five minutes and don’t lead to future problems or cause seizure conditions like epilepsy.10

Other signs that your child may be experiencing a rare complication of rotavirus include confusion, delirium, and extreme sleepiness.8 Contact your child’s pediatrician as soon as possible if you notice any of these symptoms after your child develops rotavirus.

Symptoms in Adults 

Babies and young children are most likely to get rotavirus infections, but adolescents, older adults, and people who are immunocompromised can also experience the infection.1 Some adults infected with rotavirus won’t have any symptoms, but others will have the same gastrointestinal symptoms as children, such as:12

• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Fever

These symptoms are usually milder in adults and don’t carry the same risks of dehydration and neurological complications.24

Is Rotavirus Contagious?

Rotavirus is highly contagious and mainly spreads through infected people’s stool and bodily fluids. You can contract rotavirus by consuming contaminated water or food or by putting your hands in your mouth after touching something contaminated.1

You can spread rotavirus to others even before you have symptoms. Experts believe people are most contagious when they actively have symptoms and for three days after symptoms go away.4

One of the best ways to prevent rotavirus is to vaccinate your child. Depending on the type used, your child will need two or three doses of the rotavirus vaccine. Infants should receive their first rotavirus vaccine when they are two months old. The vaccine is safe and protects more than 90% of children from severe infection and hospitalization and about 70% of children from becoming infected with rotavirus at all.13

Rotavirus is difficult to eliminate from your environment. Many cleaning products don’t destroy the virus, and it can live on some hard surfaces for as long as three days.14 Practicing good hand hygiene, such as washing your hands after using the bathroom and before you eat, can help prevent the spread of the infection.4

When to Contact a Healthcare Provider 

Let your healthcare provider know if your child is experiencing symptoms of rotavirus. You should also contact a provider if your child is showing signs of dehydration, such as increased thirst, reduced urination, extreme irritability, and crying without tears. Your child may need hospitalization to receive intravenous (IV) fluids to help rehydrate.4

It’s essential to seek emergency medical care if a child with rotavirus appears to have a seizure, begins acting strangely, seems overly lethargic or confused, or loses consciousness. Getting treatment as soon as possible can prevent the infection from worsening and causing complications.815

A Quick Review 

Rotavirus is a contagious viral illness of the gastrointestinal system that causes watery diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, and fever. It primarily affects infants and young children under age three, but older adults and people with weakened immune systems can also develop symptoms.

While many children recover on their own, some may experience complications that require hospitalization and IV fluids—so it’s important to monitor them and contact a provider about their symptoms.