A surge of rotavirus infections is spreading across Northern California, driving clusters of severe diarrhea cases and filling pediatric clinics and emergency rooms. The pathogen, often overshadowed by norovirus, is now emerging in lab reports as a dominant cause of acute gastroenteritis in several counties.
Rotavirus, a double-stranded RNA virus, attacks the small intestine and triggers rapid fluid loss, vomiting, and watery diarrhea that can lead to dehydration and, in extreme cases, death. Clinicians note that the clinical picture can resemble norovirus, sometimes labeled the stomach flu, but rotavirus is more closely linked to prolonged diarrhea and higher risks for infants and unvaccinated children.
Public health departments are urging renewed attention to the rotavirus vaccine, which targets viral replication in the gut and has previously cut hospitalizations where coverage is high. Officials also stress basic infection control: handwashing with soap and water, surface disinfection with agents effective against non-enveloped viruses, and strict exclusion of symptomatic children from daycare and schools to limit transmission.
