Norovirus vs. Rotavirus: Symptoms and Treatment

If you or a family member has an upset stomach and is having difficulty keeping food down, it might be the stomach flu, medically known as viral gastroenteritis.

Viral gastroenteritis is a common illness, especially during the fall and winter months, that mainly causes vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea.

A few viruses can cause stomach flu, two of which are the most common—norovirus and rotavirus.

While both viruses are highly contagious and share similar symptoms, it's important to understand the difference between norovirus and rotavirus, as rotavirus infection can be a very serious illness for young children.

Let’s take a closer look at the differences between norovirus and rotavirus—their symptoms, causes, treatments, and prevention strategies to help protect you and your family.

Symptoms of Norovirus vs. Rotavirus

Because both norovirus and rotavirus affect the gastrointestinal system — which includes the stomach and intestines — they share many of the same symptoms, including:

• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Headache
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Stomach pain
• Vomiting

Let’s examine the shared and differing symptoms of norovirus vs rotavirus.

What is Norovirus?

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting, diarrhea and foodborne illness in the U.S.

There are several different types of norovirus, which are all part of the Caliciviridae family of viruses.

Because the norovirus infection is so contagious, it can be caught in a variety of different ways, such as:

• Consuming virus-contaminated foods or drinks
• Eating undercooked shellfish polluted by the virus
• Drinking water contaminated by virus-containing sewage
• Having direct contact with someone with norovirus
• Touching a contaminated surface or object — norovirus can live on surfaces for as long as four weeks

Norovirus is mainly transmitted through the air. When an infected person vomits, coughs, or sneezes, virus particles are carried through microscopic water droplets that can be breathed in by another person and land on hard surfaces or food.

For this reason, norovirus outbreaks spread easily and rapidly through enclosed environments with a lot of people, such as:

• Cruise ships
• Hospitals and long-term care facilities
• Restaurants
• Schools and child care centers

Symptoms of Norovirus

Norovirus can affect people of any age. Once infected, a person normally starts showing signs of the virus within 12 to 48 hours.

The most common symptoms of the norovirus are:

• Abdominal pain
• Body aches
• Chills
• Diarrhea
• Dry mouth
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Norovirus symptoms normally last between one to three days; however, a person with norovirus can still be contagious for up to two weeks after the start of their illness.

While most people recover quickly from norovirus without any long-term effects, it’s common for young children and older adults to become dehydrated. Once norovirus symptoms begin to subside, replace any lost fluids as quickly as possible.

What Is Rotavirus?

Rotavirus is an extremely contagious gastrointestinal virus. Nine species of rotaviruses are part of the Reoviridae family.

When examining norovirus vs. rotavirus, one of the biggest differences is the ages of patients who get it.

While norovirus can infect people of all ages, rotavirus is most commonly seen in children under 5.

Another large difference between norovirus vs. rotavirus is the availability of the rotavirus vaccine.

Because rotavirus can be severe in young children, the U.S. first introduced the rotavirus vaccine in 2006, which children receive before they are 8 months old.

According to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), before the vaccine, almost all children in the U.S. were infected by the rotavirus before age 5, resulting in more than 200,000 emergency room visits, nearly 70,000 hospitalizations and as many as 60 deaths each year.

Since the vaccine's launch, the NFID reports that the rotavirus vaccine helps prevent between 40,000 to 50,000 infant and young children hospitalizations in the U.S. annually.

Older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and those working with children are also at a higher risk of contracting the rotavirus.

Individuals infected by the rotavirus shed the virus in their stool, which is how it is mainly passed from person to person. For example, if you change a baby's diaper infected with rotavirus and do not properly wash your hands, you may spread it to others through person-to-person contact or touching shared surfaces.

Each gram of stool can hold upwards of 1,000 rotavirus particles.

The rotavirus is mainly transmitted through:

• Direct contact with a person with rotavirus
• Eating virus-polluted foods or water
• Touching contaminated objects or surfaces

Rotavirus can live on hands for at least four hours and on surfaces for up to two months.

The rotavirus is more commonly found in:

• Child care centers like daycares
• Hospitals
• Households, especially those with young children

Symptoms of Rotavirus

As mentioned above, when looking at the differences between norovirus and rotavirus, the viral infection most commonly affects young children and infants. Rotavirus symptoms generally take about two days to appear and may include:

• Dry mouth
• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• Stomach pain
• Vomiting
• Watery diarrhea

Rotavirus symptoms can last anywhere between three to eight days.

With long periods of vomiting and diarrhea, young children are at an increased risk of becoming dehydrated, which can be very serious. Symptoms of dehydration in young children may include:

• Crying without tears
• Decreased urination
• Dry skin
• Dry or sticky mouth and/or tongue
• Fatigue
• Sunken eyes
• Unusual fussiness

Additionally, loss of fluids from the body may result in an electrolyte imbalance, where certain minerals in the blood needed to help regulate many functions of the body become too low. Children experiencing electrolyte imbalance may have symptoms like:

• Confusion
• Constipation
• Dizziness
• Extreme thirst
• Irregular or rapid heartbeat
• Muscle cramping or spasms
• Numbness in fingers, toes, arms or legs
• Stomach pain
• Tiredness

If your child or family member with rotavirus shows signs of dehydration or electrolyte imbalance, it’s time to take them to AdventHealth Centra Care Urgent Care for examination.

Causes of Norovirus vs. Rotavirus

Are there different causes for norovirus and rotavirus? Both are caused by viruses, which are highly infectious germs that need to infect a host—such as a human or animal—to replicate or make copies of itself to survive. Other common viruses include the common cold, the flu, chickenpox, herpes, and human papillomavirus (HPV).

A person can become infected with norovirus or rotavirus by direct contact with someone already infected with the virus, touching an infected surface, or consuming contaminated foods or drinks.

The main difference in the spread of norovirus vs. rotavirus is that norovirus is spread mainly through droplets in the air, while rotavirus is transmitted through the fecal-oral route.

Causes of Norovirus

As the norovirus is a virus, it is highly contagious and can be easily transmitted through:

• Breathing in air droplets containing the virus
• Direct contact with an infected person
• Eating virus-contaminated foods or drinks
• Sharing items you place in your mouth, like cups or eating utensils
• Touching objects or surfaces with the virus on them

Although people can contract the norovirus at any time of year, it’s most commonly seen from November to April, when we spend a lot of time indoors and school is in session.

Causes of Rotavirus

The rotavirus is also extremely contagious and is mainly spread through the fecal-oral route. If someone touches virus-including feces and does not wash their hands properly, the virus can be transmitted to other people, surfaces, objects, food and water.

If a person is infected with the rotavirus, they normally begin to "shed" virus particles into their stool about two days before symptoms start. This "shedding" can continue for as many as 10 days after symptoms stop.

The rotavirus can also be spread through the air when someone with the virus sneezes or coughs. The virus is carried in microscopic water droplets that are inhaled.

While you can catch rotavirus any time of year, it is most active from January through June.

Diagnosis: Norovirus vs. Rotavirus

If you visit AdventHealth Centra Care Urgent Care with signs of stomach flu, your doctor will determine whether you have norovirus vs. rotavirus.

To do this, they will first take a quick medical history to ask exactly what your symptoms are, how long you have had them, and if you know if you've been in contact with another sick person. They will also administer a physical exam to check for signs of any other issues.

In most cases, a doctor can determine whether you have norovirus or rotavirus based on your physical exam and reported symptoms.

Because both viruses share so many similar symptoms, the doctor sometimes asks you for a stool sample to be tested to verify the diagnosis.

Treatment: Norovirus vs. Rotavirus

As with any virus, no specific medication is used to treat the rotavirus and norovirus.

Treatment of both viruses is normally done at home and includes:

• Drinking plenty of fluids to keep hydrated
• Eating bland, easy-to-digest foods
• Getting plenty of rest
• Taking over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medications or antiemetics to help stop vomiting as needed

As dehydration can be a serious complication of these two viruses, rehydration is extremely important as symptoms begin to subside.

If your symptoms worsen or you notice signs of dehydration, walk in to see an AdventHealth Centra Care Urgent Care doctor. If you have a child with the rotavirus, visit one of our pediatric urgent care clinics.

Prevention Strategies for Norovirus and Rotavirus

Whether you have norovirus vs. rotavirus, there are several ways you can protect yourself from acute gastroenteritis, such as:

• Avoiding foods that may be uncooked or at a buffet
• Avoiding people who have the stomach flu
• Disinfecting all hard surfaces – ideally, with bleach
• Managing stress
• Practicing proper hand-washing techniques
• Safely preparing, cooking, and storing foods
• Staying hydrated

For the rotavirus, you can also help protect young children in your family by having them vaccinated.

There are currently two rotavirus vaccines approved for use in the U.S. Both are delivered through drops placed in a baby's mouth and require two or three doses.

Regardless of which rotavirus vaccine you use, the CDC recommends that all babies receive their first dose of the vaccine before they reach 15 weeks of age, and they should receive all doses before they turn 8 months old.

Know the Difference Between Norovirus vs. Rotavirus

About one in 15 people in the U.S. will contract the norovirus every year. While annual rotavirus cases in young children have decreased thanks to the vaccine, a recent study found that rotavirus is the leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age from diarrhea worldwide.

While the rotavirus vaccine protects 90% of children from getting sick, it is still possible for young children—as well as older adults and people with immune system issues who may not have received the vaccine as children—to become infected.

You and your entire family should practice proper hand-washing techniques and constantly disinfect hard surfaces such as countertops, door handles and toys when possible to help keep the spread down.

We hope this guide helps answer any questions you may have about the symptoms, causes, and treatment differences between norovirus and rotavirus.

If you or a loved one shows signs of either virus, visit your nearest AdventHealth Centra Care Urgent Care clinic today.