A highly contagious illness that can cause severe and even deadly vomiting and diarrhea is spreading at an alarmingly high rate across the United States, health experts warned.
Rotavirus, known for causing severe vomiting and diarrhea, is an illness that usually sees an increase in cases during the typical cold and flu season. The recent surge, which is continuing on an upward trajectory, has been enough to grab the attention of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"The increase in rotavirus infections that we have seen over the past 4-6 months is unusual, compared to previous seasons over the past 2 decades when rotavirus vaccines have been available," Dr. Andi L. Shane, chief of the division of pediatric infectious disease at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and professor of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, told USA TODAY. "The trend in the increasing rates of rotavirus infections is concerning, as well as the corresponding decrease in rotavirus immunization rates."
WasteWaterSCAN, a Stanford University-led tool for tracking the spread of disease by testing wastewater samples, categorized rotavirus activity as "high" as of April 12, noting a 40% increase in concentrations since February.
