A child being vaccinated in Beirut, June 21, 2021. (Credit: Fouad Choufany/UNICEF)
Diarrhea, cramps, vomiting, fever, fatigue — all common symptoms of gastroenteritis — are also signs of rotavirus, which has recently made headlines in Lebanon. Highly contagious and primarily affecting infants and children under 5, rotavirus is spread mainly through the fecal-oral route, often via unwashed hands, toys, or contaminated surfaces.Still, the illness is “nothing out of the ordinary, except when it leads to dehydration,” said Gerard Wakim, founding president of the pediatrics department at LAU Medical Center–Rizk Hospital.“What makes it dangerous is the risk of rapid dehydration, especially in very young children, which may require hospitalization if not properly treated,” added Chadia Jbeily, a pediatrician trained at Saint Joseph University of Beirut and Paris Cité in France.“If a child stops producing tears, has a dry...
Diarrhea, cramps, vomiting, fever, fatigue — all common symptoms of gastroenteritis — are also signs of rotavirus, which has recently made headlines in Lebanon. Highly contagious and primarily affecting infants and children under 5, rotavirus is spread mainly through the fecal-oral route, often via unwashed hands, toys, or contaminated surfaces.Still, the illness is “nothing out of the ordinary, except when it leads to dehydration,” said Gerard Wakim, founding president of the pediatrics department at LAU Medical Center–Rizk Hospital.“What makes it dangerous is the risk of rapid dehydration, especially in very young children, which may require hospitalization if not properly treated,” added Chadia Jbeily, a pediatrician trained at Saint Joseph University of Beirut and Paris Cité in France.“If a child stops producing...
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