The Seneca County Health District is advising residents to protect themselves against rotavirus. Affecting mostly babies and young children, the virus causes diarrhea and vomiting severe enough to cause serious dehydration. It can be deadly if not treated.
Symptoms of rotavirus include fever, watery diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain, which may last three to eight days. The virus can live on objects for several days unless it is killed by a germ-killing cleaner.
The best protection from rotavirus is a childhood vaccine, which should be started at the 2-month immunization visit. The vaccine prevents nearly all cases of serious diarrhea from rotavirus.
For more information, visit www.cdc.gov or call the health district at (419) 447-3691 or (419) 435-6673.
