Diarrhea-causing rotavirus may cause heart and brain problems in young children: Research
Most of the time a child has diarrhea, rotavirus is blamed for it. Its infection is common. Vomiting and diarrhea are treated when infected with it. When the infection is over, it is assumed that it no longer has any effect on the body. Recent study reports suggest that the side effects of this common infection occurring in children under 5 years of age can be known even after a long time (long-term complications of rotavirus).
Rotavirus Infection Symptoms
Rotavirus is a species of double-stranded RNA virus. It is the most common cause of diarrheal disease in infants and young children. Almost every child in the world is infected with rotavirus at least once by the age of five. Rotavirus infection is mostly caused by rotavirus A. It causes watery diarrhea. This leads to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance in young children. It puts more children at risk in this age group than any other cause of acute gastroenteritis.
Number of children getting infected (Rotavirus Infection)
In a recent study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, researchers reported findings about rotavirus infection in children under the age of five. In this, attention was paid to intestinal complications due to this virus. The number of children who die from rotavirus infection every year is 1,30,000-2,00,000. Most cases occur in low-resource countries. This led to increased efforts to discover a rotavirus vaccine. However, no specific treatment is yet available.
What does the study say (Study on Rotavirus)
Studies indicate that in addition to acute gastroenteritis from rotavirus infection, the infection can lead to a number of other complications. These include acute neurological disease, type 1 diabetes, hepatobiliary disease, respiratory disease, heart disease, and kidney failure. Can The study included 1,300 patients with rotavirus infection and 1,800 other patients. Neurological disease was found more in the first group.
Children's heart health can be affected (Rotavirus affect Heart Health)
Children under the age of 5 who were infected with rotavirus showed a 10% increase in the incidence of heart disease. Hepatobiliary disease occurred in 13% of cases of mild rotavirus gastroenteritis. The odds of neurological disease in infants and young children increased by 50% and 120%, respectively, after mild and severe gastroenteritis. One-third to two-thirds of children with rotavirus infection develop respiratory problems. Newborns are two and a half times more likely to develop neurological disease after rotavirus infection. The risk doubles in infants and young children.
Why is brain health affected (Rotavirus affect brain health)
Newborns and young children with severe rotavirus infection are at increased risk of neurological disease. In conclusion, it was told that the child has an immature immune response (Weak Immune System). Rotavirus-induced gut has the potential to be a more serious problem. Vomiting and diarrhea caused by rotavirus infection activate the intestine and the central nervous system. Severe gastroenteritis leads to an increased neurological risk.
Rotavirus Vaccine Awareness
Cerebrospinal fluid was found to be positive for rotavirus, viral antigen, antirotavirus antibodies and genomic RNA. Rotavirus produces the protein NSP4. It is a viral enterotoxin, which may also be associated with neurological injury. It is not yet known whether the virus is directly toxic to neurons. Rotavirus vaccination has reduced deaths due to rotavirus by 25% to 55%. But a tenth of children diagnosed with gastroenteritis still test positive for the virus. The findings of the study emphasize that people should be aware of rotavirus vaccine. Read the full article
