SINCE late May, there’s been 23 cases of the diarrhoeal disease rotavirus in the NT, according to Centre for Disease Control’s Dr Vicki Krause.

Dr Krause said most of the cases were in Central Australian children, but further reach was likely. She’s urging Territorians to wash their hands thoroughly and avoid contamination with waste.

“Rotavirus can cause fever, vomiting and watery diarrhoea,” Dr Krause said. “It is spread when objects, hands or foods contaminated with small amounts of faeces from those infected find their way to the mouths of those uninfected and often this is in very young children. “Rotavirus mainly affects children under five years of age, but adults can also be infected and pass the virus on to others.

“Very young children are most at risk of becoming severely dehydrated during an infection.” The rotavirus vaccine is available on the NT immunisation schedule at six weeks and four months of age. For more information, visit https://nt.gov.au/wellbeing/health-c...iral/rotavirus