Highly contagious stomach bug surges in Northern California

Rates of rotavirus, a highly contagious illness that can cause severe stomach flu symptoms among small children and leads to infant hospitalization, are still high or spiking in several California cities. But health experts say change may soon be on the horizon. 

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According to WastewaterSCAN, which monitors multiple different viruses in municipal wastewater, traces of rotavirus are either high or spiking in San Francisco, Fremont, San Jose, Santa Cruz, Gilroy, Marina, Ontario and Los Angeles County. However, Dr. Matthew Willis, a former health officer for Marin County, said that it’s unlikely that the illness will surge into summer based on historic seasonal trends. 

“I’m not overly concerned at this stage that we’re going to have a rough summer,” Willis told SFGATE on Tuesday, adding that rotavirus typically peaks later than winter viruses like RSV and the flu. Currently, the wave appears to be subsiding in San Jose, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Fremont, Redwood City, Gilroy, the southeastern section of San Francisco and Novato. 

Overall, though, he said that Northern California is experiencing a common “late-spring surge.” In areas like Monterey, it appears as though the community is experiencing an outbreak, though he noted it will likely resolve on its own. WastewaterSCAN data is currently “signifying active transmission in that community,” he explained. He also said that vigorously washing your hands with soap and water is crucial for preventing the spread since hand sanitizer isn’t as effective. 

Willis said that rotavirus is a disease that’s mostly acquired in specific settings such as daycares where there is lots of close contact and diaper-changing. The disease can be transmitted via the fecal-oral route, in which stool from infected people can contaminate surfaces or food that people are unintentionally exposed to. According to UC San Francisco, about 50,000 children are hospitalized with the virus annually, and it’s so common, most kids have already been exposed to it by the time they’ve reached five years of age.

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While it’s a lesser-known gastrointestinal bug that’s been compared to cruise ship-linked norovirus, rotavirus can cause severe watery diarrhea and vomiting, especially among small children between the ages of 3 months and 3 years. The California Department of Public Health suggests that infants receive all doses of the rotavirus vaccine by the time they’re 8 months old, noting that children under the age of 2 are at risk of experiencing severe symptoms. While milder symptoms present among adults, older children and those who are immunocompromised can still get sick from it, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. 

Once exposed to the illness, which is most prevalent from January through June, symptoms typically begin two days later and last between three and eight days. The disease can easily spread in crowded facilities like daycare centers and hospitals, especially if people are in close contact with sick children. Touching contaminated objects and surfaces, as well as eating contaminated food or putting your fingers in your mouth after not washing your hands, can lead to infection. The CDC says the virus can spread up to three days after an individual recovers. Currently, there is no specific medicine to treat rotavirus other than supportive care for severe cases.

For more information on vaccination, visit the CDC website.