Rotavirus

Statutory notification

• Rotavirus infection is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
• Case definition: See Rotavirus (external site) national surveillance case definition.
• Notifications should be made using the communicable disease notification form for metropolitan residents (PDF 209KB) or regional residents (PDF 208KB).
• 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: Until asymptomatic, including normal stools, for 24 hours. If patient works in health-care, aged-care, child-care or 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: 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: Is conducted by public health units (Healthy WA).

Guidelines for public health units

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

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
• General infectious disease reports