Pinoy parents not fully aware of rotavirus – study

Due to the lack of awareness of rotavirus, Filipino parents are unable to spot its symptoms and are unsure what causes this serious illness that lead to an estimated 3,700 infant deaths per year in the country.

Rotavirus is an intestinal viral infection and common cause of gastroenteritis among children six months to two years old, resulting in fever, vomiting and severe diarrhea.

It leads to a greater risk of dehydration than gastroenteritis caused by other infections. In most cases, rotavirus leads to hospitalization. Symptoms include fever and vomiting that can last up to nine days and diarrhea that can last up to three weeks.

A survey conducted by ISIS Research of Filipino parents to assess their awareness of gastroenteritis in young children, found that while nearly all parents (98 percent) were aware of gastroenteritis, less that half (41 percent) had heard of rotavirus.

Alarmingly, when asked what they thought caused gastroenteritis in children, only 10 percent of parents surveyed thought a virus caused the illness and only 11 percent were aware that their children might catch gastroenteritis from other children.

Three quarters of parents surveyed also incorrectly thought that food poisoning was the primary cause of gastroenteritis. Parents are clearly mistaking rotavirus, which is unavoidable and cannot be effectively prevented through improved hygiene, as food poisoning.

In fact, rotavirus is one of the most common causes of severe diarrhea with virtually every child, in all sectors of society, whether in developed or developing countries, suffering at least one rotavirus infection within the first five years of life.

Indeed, over half of those surveyed (53 percent) said their children had experienced symptoms associated with rotavirus infection such as diarrhea, fever and vomiting, leading researchers to believe that Filipino parents are unable to recognize these symptoms as rotavirus.

"Parents need to start recognizing the symptoms of rotavirus and realize the symptoms are not just a case of food poisoning. In the Philippines, up to 65 percent of children hospitalized with acute diarrhea could be due to rotavirus and it is one of the leading causes of illness among Filipino children. Dehydrated children fill hospital beds and families are put under undue stress by caring for a sick child, when in fact, rotavirus can be prevented through vaccination," says Dr. Jossie Rogacion, associate professor of pediatrics at UP-Manila College of Medicine and consultant of pediatric gastroenterology at the Philippine General Hospital.

"There is a significant emotional and financial impact on thousands of families each year in the Philippines due to missed work and the associated costs of caring for a sick child, including additional costs of healthcare, bills, extra nappies, food and special formulas. We are so fortunate as the Philippines is one of the first countries in Asia to have a two-dose oral vaccine available and parents should take advantage of this," Rogacion said.

The World Health Organization says rotavirus vaccines are the best strategy for disease prevention.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) recently launched in the Philippines the world’s only two-dose oral vaccine suitable for infants. Parents with children less than six months old can learn more about GSK’s vaccine from their pediatricians or vaccination centers.