Rotavirus infection

Statutory notification

• Rotavirus infection is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
• Case definition: See Rotavirus (external site) national surveillance case definition. 
• Notification: Notify using the communicable disease notification form for metropolitan residents (PDF 214KB) or regional residents (PDF 213KB). For notification of regional residents see contact details of public health units.
• See also description of statutory medical notifications in Western Australia.

Public health summary

• Infectious agent: Rotavirus.
• Transmission: Rotavirus is usually spread by contact with microscopic amounts of faeces or vomit from an infected person which then pass to the mouth of an uninfected person (contamination of hands which prepare food, touch surfaces and door handles).
• Incubation period: Approximately 24 to 72 hours.
• Infectious period: Most people are no longer infectious after the 8th day.
• Case exclusion: Exclude until asymptomatic, including normal stools, for 24 hours. If patient works in health care, aged care or child care is a food handler or attends child-care exclude until asymptomatic, including normal stools, for 48 hours. See Guidelines for Exclusion of People with Enteric Diseases and their Contacts (PDF 764KB).
• Contact exclusion: See Guidelines for Exclusion of People with Enteric Diseases and their Contacts (PDF 764KB).
• Treatment: Oral rehydration therapy.
• Immunisation: Recommended that children be vaccinated according to the Western Australian immunisation schedule. See Australian Immunisation Handbook – Rotavirus (external site).
• Case follow-up: Generally only clusters or outbreaks are investigated by local public health units, with assistance from the Communicable Disease Control Directorate (OzFoodNet) as required. Conducted by local public health units.

Guidelines for public health units

• Western Australian immunisation schedule
• Australian Immunisation Handbook – Rotavirus (external site)
• Guidelines for public health management of notifiable enteric diseases (PDF 387KB)
• Guidelines for Exclusion of People with Enteric Diseases and their Contacts (PDF 764KB) 
• Communicable Disease Guidelines for teachers, childcare workers, local government authorities and medical practitioners

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
• General infectious disease reports