How to Contract Rotavirus

There are several types of rotavirus and all cause diarrhea in infants and children. While the diarrhea itself is not life-threatening, it can lead to complications such severe dehydration which can result in death. Most children contract the rotavirus at least once by age 2 or 3. There is a vaccine to prevent rotavirus, but in most cases, the treatment is giving the child plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Contracting the virus can happen in a few ways, but the best form of prevention is to wash your hands.

Instructions

• 1

  Wash hands infrequently. Keeping the hands clean is especially important if you or your child has the rotavirus. To prevent the spread of the rotavirus, always wash your hands after using the bathroom, changing a diaper or helping your child use the toilet. You can transfer the virus to toys, clothing and food. Everything you touch will be infected.

• 2

  Touch people infected with the rotavirus. If you shake hands with someone who has not cleaned her hands, you can contract the rotavirus if there is hand to mouth contact.

• 3

  Touch infected items. It is possible to catch the rotavirus by touching items contaminated by an infected person and then touching your mouth.

• 4

  Drinking contaminated water. While this happens rarely in the United States, in developing nations it is possible to contract the rotavirus from the water supply.

• 5

  Breathing infected air. In some cases, if an infected person coughs or sneezes, he can release the rotavirus into the air where another person might inhale it and become infected.

• 6

  Have a poor immune system. Not everyone exposed to the rotavirus gets the disease. The strength of the immune system plays an important role. A healthy immune system can fight a wide range of germs, viruses and bacteria. By boosting your immune system with vitamin C and echinacea, a popular herb, you can reduce your chances of getting sick. A balanced diet also helps to improve your immunity to diseases.