Lesser-known virus that can cause fatal diarrhea raging in NorCal

Key Points:

• WastewaterSCAN reports high rotavirus rates in Davis, Marin, Redwood City, San Jose, and Fremont, with moderate levels in San Francisco, Sunnyvale, and Novato; the virus primarily affects infants and young children aged 3 to 35 months, causing severe symptoms that can lead to dehydration, hospitalization, or death.
• Rotavirus is highly contagious, spreading through the fecal-oral route and contaminated surfaces, with symptoms similar to norovirus, including watery diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and stomach pain; individuals remain contagious up to three days after symptoms subside.
• The CDC recommends rotavirus vaccination for most infants to prevent the disease, as hand-washing alone is insufficient; before the vaccine's introduction in 2006, rotavirus was the leading cause of severe diarrhea in young children in the U.S.
• Approximately 75% of U.S. children are fully vaccinated against rotavirus, but recent changes by the Department of Health and Human Services, influenced by vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have shifted CDC guidelines to a shared decision-making approach rather than universal vaccination.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics criticized the CDC's updated vaccine recommendations, warning that the lack of clear guidance could increase confusion, reduce immunization confidence, and negatively impact public health.