Did you know that rotavirus...
... is a highly contagious virus that causes rotavirus gastroenteritis? This virus can strike without warning, and can pose a serious threat to an infant’s health. It is important to know the facts about rotavirus and how it can affect infants, since almost all children, 95%, will be infected by the time they are 5 years old.2
... is the most important cause of severe, dehydrating diarrhea in infants and young children below the age of 5, with children aged 6-36 months being at greatest risk for severe cases requiring hospitalization?3,4
... can affect children of every culture and economic status?5
... can cause repeated episodes of vomiting and diarrhea?6
... can lead to rapid and severe dehydration?5,7
... can cause symptoms in children that last for 3-9 days?8
... can survive for prolonged periods of time on ordinary surfaces like hands and countertops?9
In Canada, rotavirus is estimated to be responsible for an average of 5,500 hospitalizations per year among children younger than 5 years of age.1
Learn more about this potentially serious and unavoidable infection.