What rotavirus is
Rotavirus is highly contagious. Infection with rotavirus is usually mild and most people recover quickly, but it can be serious, especially for high-risk groups.
Vaccination in infancy and good hygiene are the best ways to prevent the spread of rotavirus.
Why it matters to public health
Rotavirus can cause outbreaks and serious illness, especially in unvaccinated children and people who are immunocompromised.
Before rotavirus vaccination became part of the National Immunisation Program schedule in 2007, it was a leading cause of severe gastroenteritis in children in Australia.
Routine vaccination of babies has helped reduce the number of cases across all ages. Among children aged under 5 years, there has been a drop of about:
- 85% in acute gastroenteritis hospitalisations where rotavirus is detected
- 46% in hospital presentations for gastroenteritis.
But outbreaks still occur and can put pressure on our healthcare system and families.
Because of this, we:
- monitor and report on the number of cases in Australia
- encourage vaccination in babies younger than 6 months
- plan for how to manage major outbreaks.
Symptoms
Most people with rotavirus have no or mild symptoms and recover quickly. Symptoms are usually more severe in unvaccinated children and people who are immunocompromised.
Common symptoms include:
Some people can develop serious illness and might need hospitalisation.
Read more about symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of rotavirus.
healthdirect’s symptom checker can help you decide whether to see a healthcare professional.
Onset of symptoms
Symptoms usually start between 24 and 72 hours after being infected.
How it spreads
Rotavirus spreads very easily. It most often spreads through contact with:
- an infectious person
- vomit or diarrhoea
- contaminated objects, food and water
- droplets spread when an infectious person coughs or sneezes.
Most children have been exposed to rotavirus by 3 years of age and have developed some immunity. This reduces the risk of severe disease in later infections.
Infectious period
People with rotavirus are infectious from when their symptoms begin, for about 10 days.
Some people may be infectious for longer, including people who are immunocompromised.
Prevention
Vaccination
Vaccination in babies aged under 6 months is the best way to protect against severe illness from rotavirus.
It is very important for infants to be vaccinated on time, because there are age limits to vaccination.
Rotavirus vaccine is funded for infants aged under 6 months through the National Immunisation Program.
Other prevention steps
You can protect against rotavirus by regularly washing your hands, especially:
- after going to the toilet
- before preparing, handling or eating food
- after changing a nappy
- after caring for anyone with rotavirus.
It’s also important to:
- not change nappies where you prepare or eat food
- use hot water and soap to wash objects, surfaces and clothes that have been in contact with diarrhoea or vomit then allow them to fully dry
- not go to a swimming pool or childcare centre for at least 24 hours after diarrhoea and vomiting are completely gone
- not prepare food for others until at least 48 hours after diarrhoea and vomiting are completely gone.
Your state or territory recommendations may be different. Always follow your local government’s advice.
Priority groups and settings
Some people are at greater risk of getting rotavirus or getting very sick from it.
Rotavirus can spread quickly in homes and other settings including:
- early childhood education and care centres
- schools
- hospitals
- residential care homes
- food venues.
Rotavirus is also more common in some remote communities and can spread quickly.
If you are at greater risk, it is especially important to:
- speak to your healthcare professional about booking your child’s free rotavirus vaccination
- take steps to protect yourself.
People at greater risk of severe disease
People at greater risk of severe disease from rotavirus include:
- infants and young children who are not immune (by past infection or vaccination), especially those aged under 2 years
- older adults
- people who are immunocompromised.
People at greater risk of exposure
Those most at risk of exposure include:
- children who attend early childhood education and care centres
- people who care for young children.
Diagnosis and treatment
If your health professional suspects you or your child has rotavirus, you may be asked to collect a stool (poo) sample. The sample will then be tested for rotavirus in a laboratory.
You can use healthdirect’s directory to find a health service near you.
There is no specific treatment for rotavirus.
If you or your child has rotavirus, it’s important to drink plenty of fluids.
Some people may need to go to hospital to manage symptoms or dehydration.
Read more about how to manage or treat rotavirus.
Surveillance and reporting
Rotavirus is a nationally notifiable disease – these are diseases that present a risk to public health.
Health authorities in each state and territory report cases to us daily through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.
This is part of our surveillance activities, which help us monitor case numbers around the country and understand disease patterns.
We analyse the data and report on case numbers and other data through our data visualisation tool, where you can filter and search the latest information.
Outbreaks
State and territory health departments provide guidance and support for outbreaks of rotavirus or gastroenteritis in high-risk settings.
Read more about how we define and plan for outbreaks.
Support
For information about rotavirus in your state or territory see: