Rotavirus Intestinal Infection In Adults - Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49

Rotavirus intestinal infection in adults

Rotavirus intestinal infection is an acute infectious disease that affects the human digestive system. In addition to the gastrointestinal tract, the organs of the respiratory system can also be involved in the pathological process.

In adulthood, the disease is diagnosed less often than in children. However, cases of rotavirus infection in middle-aged and older people are reported by doctors. Rotavirus infection is manifested by an increase in body temperature, redness of the throat, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea. Treatment for an uncomplicated course of the disease is carried out at home, but it requires the implementation of some mandatory points, including: adequate rehydration, taking drugs containing enzymes, enterosorbents. At the discretion of the doctor, antiviral drugs may be prescribed.

Rotavirus infection, for its widespread occurrence, is rightfully called intestinal flu or cholera cholera. Only ARVI is inferior to rotavirus infections in terms of prevalence. About 40% of all cases are newborns and children under 3 years of age. More than 600,000 people worldwide die from infection each year. As a person grows older, the susceptibility to rotavirus infection decreases significantly, but the likelihood of the virus entering the body remains.

The disease is often characterized by outbreaks within the same family or community. Therefore, if there is a sick child in the house, then with a high degree of probability the rest of the family will get sick. However, in adults, the disease is most often mild and does not require hospitalization.

Content:

• Causes of rotavirus infection in adults
• Symptoms of rotavirus infection in adults
• Diagnostics of the rotavirus infection
• Rotavirus infection treatment
• Prevention of rotavirus infection in adults
• Pregnancy and rotavirus infection

Causes of rotavirus infection in adults

Rotavirus infection in an adult develops after a viral particle from the Reoviridae family, genus Rotavirus, enters his body. In the host's body, the virus is able to create multiple combinations, which determines a wide variety of strains of rotaviruses that are secreted by a sick person into the external environment. However, more than 90% of all rotavirus infections in the world are in the following five strains: G1P8, G2P4, G4P8, G3P8, G9P8.

The source of the spread of the disease is an infected person who releases the virus into the external environment along with feces. Virus isolation begins even before the first signs of the disease develop in the infected person. A person remains contagious even after the main manifestations of the infection have been stopped. This lasts up to 20 days from the moment of infection.

Since rotavirus infection is a predominantly childhood disease, it is children who infect an adult. Most often this happens during the care of parents for their sick children. However, it is still impossible to exclude another source of the spread of pathogenic microorganisms. Although cases of rotavirus infection are recorded throughout the year, the peak of the disease occurs in the spring and winter.

The main mechanism of transmission is fecal-oral. It can be implemented in various ways, among which the contact-household way prevails. The mass spread of the disease is caused by the water and food route of transmission of the virus.

As for the question of the possibility of spreading the virus through the air (with dust or mucus particles), there is no consensus on this score, and the question remains open.

So, rotavirus is an extremely infectious microorganism that can enter the external environment in only one way - with the feces of a sick person. The feces of viruses contain a huge amount, so they can easily end up on door handles, on a person's hands, on his clothes, on household items, etc. From these surfaces, viruses are transferred into the oral cavity, through the digestive tract they reach the small intestine, as a result what the disease develops. Very few viruses are required for infection to occur. Therefore, if someone in the family has an intestinal infection, the likelihood of its spread is extremely high.

People of the following professions are at risk of contracting rotavirus infection: catering workers, educators and teachers, water utility workers, sellers. Therefore, one should not think that rotavirus infection is a childhood illness. The probability of infection is present throughout life. Viruses retain their vital activity during prolonged freezing, but quickly die when boiled. In the external environment, when in water, on food, in feces, viruses can live from 1 to 3 months. They show moderate resistance to disinfectants.

Symptoms of rotavirus infection in adults

The incubation period does not take long. Most often it lasts from 15 hours to 5 days, but the average time for the manifestation of the first symptoms of the disease is 1-2 days after infection. The disease develops acutely, the peak of its symptoms is observed after 12 hours.

All symptoms of rotavirus infection in adults are much easier than in children.

If the disease has an uncomplicated course, then it will be characterized by the following symptoms:

• Intoxication of the body may be absent altogether, or be insignificant. This is manifested in an increase in weakness, a deterioration in appetite.
• Body temperature rises, but rarely reaches febrile values. Most often, it remains within 38 ° C. After a day, the hyperthermic reaction disappears.
• Diarrhea lasts from 3 days to a week. As a rule, it is limited to 5 episodes of loose stools per day, and may be accompanied by rumbling in the stomach.
• The stool takes on a mushy consistency.
• Pain in the abdomen is mild, proceeding according to the type of spasms. They are localized mainly in the navel and in the epigastric region.
• Vomiting is most often absent, it can be single and moderate.

However, the disease is not always mild in adults.

In some cases, the following symptoms may occur:

• Severe intoxication of the body. A person becomes lethargic, he has pains and aches in the joints, sweating intensifies, appetite disappears, and severe headaches bother him.
• High body temperature. In the first 3 days from the onset of the illness, she can reach a revenge of 39 ° C and even higher. With a severe course of the disease, an increased body temperature can persist for up to a week.
• Diarrhea in severe disease can occur up to 14-20 times per knock. The stool will be thin, foamy and mucus. It gives off a sour smell, the color of the stool is yellow or yellow-green. The more severe the diarrhea, the higher the risk of dehydration.
• In 70% of patients, in addition to damage to the digestive tract, respiratory syndrome develops. In this case, there is a reddening of the mucous membrane of the soft palate, a runny nose, sore throat, inflammation of the posterior pharyngeal wall.
• Vomiting is repeated several times a day and aggravates the course of the disease.
• The abdominal pain is moderate, but palpation of the intestinal area will intensify.

If such signs of intestinal infection occur, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Features of the course of rotavirus infection in debilitated patients

The gastric juice of an adult has increased chemical activity in comparison with the gastric juice of a child. Therefore, bacteria and viruses are destroyed in it much faster. This is due to the fact that adults are less likely than children to suffer from intestinal infections. Moreover, even after an infection has occurred, the disease proceeds more easily and rarely causes complications.

It should be borne in mind that rotavirus infection can be quite difficult for some people.

These include:

• People suffering from pathologies in the digestive system.
• People who have recently undergone surgery and are in the recovery phase.
• People who take Cytostatics.
• People over the age of 60.
• HIV-infected and immunocompromised people.

If rotavirus infection is diagnosed in patients at risk, then they should be under strict medical supervision. Provided that the disease is difficult for them, hospitalization is required.

Dangerous symptoms

Doctors identify a group of so-called dangerous symptoms of rotavirus infection. It does not matter if they occur in an adult or in a child, these symptoms require contacting a doctor.

The following signs indicate a severe course of infection and the need to place the patient in a hospital:

• The appearance of blood in the feces, their staining black. Feces can give off a strong unpleasant odor, and the feces can become metallic. All these signs indicate internal intestinal bleeding, which requires an urgent hospitalization of the patient.
• Increased diarrhea up to 10 times a day, and vomiting up to 7 times a day. With such an intensive excretion of fluid from the body, the toxic effect of viruses on the body increases. The patient urgently requires intravenous replenishment of electrolytes and fluids.
• Severe abdominal pain. In the classic course of rotavirus infection, abdominal pain is either absent or does not bother the person too much. If the pain gains intensity, there is a possibility that the intestinal wall is damaged.
• The appearance of rashes on the body. Spots on the body may indicate typhoid fever, which sometimes presents with symptoms similar to those of rotavirus infection.

Diagnostics of the rotavirus infection

Such a disease as rotavirus infection, the doctor can suspect based only on the questioning of the patient's complaints and his external examination. However, standard laboratory methods are not enough to confirm the diagnosis. Blood and urine is taken from the patient for general and clinical analysis to determine the general state of his health. Feces are sent for coprogram.

To confirm the presence of rotaviurs in the human body, his stool is sent for research to the entire intestinal group. This makes it possible to exclude diseases that are similar in symptoms: dysentery, salmonellosis, escherichiosis and other infections of the intestinal tract. Also shown is the detection of rotavirus antigen in feces using the latex agglutination reaction. It is this research method that is leading in terms of determining the disease.

Allows you to diagnose rotavirus infection with a serological blood test. The human body produces antibodies to fight infection. They can be detected by the PCR method (genotyping of rotaviruses in the patient's blood). ELISA, RSK and RTGA will be informative no earlier than 2 weeks after the onset of the disease, when the level of antibodies in the blood will increase several times.

Rotavirus infection treatment

Rotavirus infection in adults is most often treated on an outpatient basis. Hospitalization is required only if the disease is severe.

Diet

The first point in the implementation of the therapeutic regimen is nutritional correction.

Be sure to exclude the following foods from your diet:

• Flour products.
• Plant food that contains coarse dietary fiber. This applies to fruits, vegetables, berries, dried fruits.
• Salinity, smoked meats.
• Fried and fatty foods.
• Spices and condiments, all sauces.
• Whole milk.
• Rich broths.
• Alcoholic drinks.

The fact is that all these foods stimulate the intestines, which means that diarrhea will have a protracted course.

Recommended products for consumption:

• Slimy soups.
• Shredded lean meat.
• Vegetable broths.
• Boiled or steamed low-fat fish.
• Omelet.
• Mucous porridge.

Such products spare the irritated and inflamed intestines, contributing to the speedy recovery of the patient. You need to eat often, but in small portions.

Symptomatic and pathogenetic treatment

To speed up the elimination of viruses from the body and alleviate the patient's condition, he may be advised to take the following drugs:

• Kagocel to increase the body's resistance.
• Removal of intoxication from the body is carried out by taking sorbents. These drugs have the ability to bind harmful substances in the intestinal lumen and remove them outside. In addition, a number of sorbents can envelop the intestinal wall with a thin protective film that prevents viruses from destroying it. Treatment of rotavirus infection is carried out using drugs such as: Polysorb, Enterosgel, Activated carbon, Filtrum.
• Restoring the water-salt balance of the body with the help of the drugs Regidron, Oralit, Gastrolit.
• In a severe course of the disease, intravenous administration of Enterodesis or Reopolyglucin is necessary.
• To stop diarrhea, Loperamide, Enterol, Imodium, Enterofuril can be used.
• If a bacterial infection joins, then Enterofuril, Alpha Normix or other antibiotics are prescribed, depending on the type of specific microorganism. If the bacterial infection is not confirmed, then antibiotics for rotavirus infection are not prescribed.
• To improve the function of digestion, the intake of enzymes is shown: Creon, Pancreatin, Pangrol.
• To normalize the intestinal microflora, drugs such as Linex, Acipol, Bifiform, Bifidumbacterin, Hilak Forte, etc. are prescribed.
• To reduce body temperature, you can use Panadol, Ibuklin, Ibuprofen, etc. You should bring down the body temperature only when it exceeds 38.5 ° C. A hyperthermic reaction allows the body to heal the infection faster, so eliminating it can increase recovery time.
• To reduce pain and abdominal cramps, No-shpa or Spazmalgon are prescribed.
• Vomiting can be eliminated by taking Motilium or Metoclopramide. It should be borne in mind that repeated episodes of vomiting with rotavirus infection are rare. If it happens more than 4 times and lasts for 2 days, then the patient should be examined for other infections.

Self-administration of antidiarrheal or antiemetic drugs is unacceptable. Together with feces and vomit, pathogenic flora is washed out of the body. If you stop this process, the viruses will remain inside the intestines and continue to multiply, causing colossal damage to the patient's health. Therefore, the doctor decides on the appointment of these drugs.

Home treatment

Of course, intestinal infections are diseases that require a visit to a doctor.

However, if there is no such possibility, and the disease has an uncomplicated course, you can independently take the following steps:

• Take activated carbon. For every 10 kg of body weight, take one tablet.
• Drink Smecta. 4 sachets are allowed per day.
• Take Polysorb - 1-2 sachets.

Replenishment of fluid reserves, removal of intoxication

Replenishment of fluid reserves lost by the body is a prerequisite that must be observed by all patients, without exception. In addition to water, during diarrhea and vomiting, the body loses the salts and minerals it needs. Therefore, the only recommendation for all intestinal infections is to take Rehydron or Gastrolit. These drugs are available in powder form, which must be dissolved in clean boiled water and taken throughout the day.

If the drug was not found in the home medicine cabinet, then its analogue can be prepared independently. To do this, take 4 tbsp. l. sugar, a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of baking soda. All these components are dissolved in a liter of water. Nevertheless, preference should be given to pharmaceutical solutions enriched with useful substances.

Doctors call the procedure for replenishing body fluids by oral rehydration. If you do not follow this point of treatment, then this threatens the development of complications. It is important to understand that rehydration agents do not affect stool frequency or bowel pattern. They are intended only to prevent dehydration and prevent metabolic disorders in the body.

Prevention of rotavirus infection in adults

If an adult has been in contact with a patient with rotavirus infection, then he needs to take the following preventive measures to avoid infection:

• Wash hands and face with soap. The viruses could settle on the skin, from which they can easily enter the mouth.
• Change things. Clothes should be washed at high temperatures using detergent powder. All items (ballpoint pens, mobile phone, bag, etc.) must be wiped with disinfectant solutions such as alcohol or bleach.
• For prophylactic purposes, you can take an immunomodulator drug, for example, Kagocel. This will activate the body's immune forces and prevent the virus from gaining a foothold in the mucous membrane of the intestinal wall.
• You need to pay special attention to your own health. It is necessary to control the stool, body temperature, monitor your own health. When the first symptoms of the disease appear, you need to consult a doctor and inform him about the possibility of infection with rotaviruses.
• Run a company test. You can buy a rapid rotavirus test at the pharmacy. It's easy to make at home. If the result is positive, you should consult a doctor.

As for immunity, it is produced after a single infection, but it is very weak and short-lived. Therefore, the likelihood that a person may in the near future become infected with the same virus strain remains high. Moreover, immunity is formed only against one type of virus, and there are seven of them (those that can infect humans). Therefore, infection can be avoided only subject to careful observance of sanitary and hygienic standards.

Since adults most often become infected from sick children, they need to know and follow the rules for caring for a child. First of all, it is high-quality disinfection. Wet cleaning in the room where the patient is located should be done 2-3 times a day. Moreover, the bathroom and toilet, which is visited by a child or an infected adult, are subject to disinfection. The patient's belongings and bedding should be washed at high temperatures and ironed. All items of use should be treated with boiling water or disinfectant solutions. Every few hours it is necessary to ventilate the room in which the patient is located, and after any contact with him, you must wash your hands.

An adult with rotavirus infection is given a sick leave for a period of one week to 10 days. At this time, he is the source of the spread of infection, therefore, he must remain isolated from the collective. In case of a complicated course of the disease, the sick leave can be extended up to 3 weeks or more, depending on the patient's condition.

Pregnancy and rotavirus infection

If a pregnant woman becomes infected with rotaviruses, then she should immediately inform the doctor about it. With a mild course of the disease, viruses practically do not penetrate into the bloodstream of the expectant mother, therefore they are not able to harm the child.

The danger is the complications of the disease in the form of diarrhea and vomiting, which threaten to dehydrate the body. Therefore, treatment should only take place under strict medical supervision. The main methods of influencing the body in the form of rehydration therapy, diet and taking probiotics are not contraindicated at any stage of pregnancy, so you should not panic when confirming the diagnosis. It is only important to follow all the doctor's recommendations.

Author of the article: Danilova Tatyana Vyacheslavovna | Infectionist

Education: in 2008 received a diploma in General Medicine (General Medicine) at the Pirogov Russian Research Medical University. Immediately passed an internship and received a diploma of a therapist