Seven newborns have been infected with rotavirus at an obstetrics clinic in Seoul, health authorities said Wednesday.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the infants from the clinic in western Seoul were confirmed to have been infected with the virus, which causes diarrhea.

The KCDC said it has conducted an epidemiological investigation into the 29 newborns from the hospital and confirmed the seven cases.

Rotavirus is one of the most common causes of severe and dehydrating diarrhea in infants between three months and young children up to 35 months old.

The virus, which usually spreads between late fall and winter, is very contagious, spreading easily from children who are already infected to other children and sometimes adults. Babies and very young children with rotavirus infections need to be monitored closely. (Yonhap)