Gastroenteritis

Have you ever had the "stomach flu?" What you probably had was gastroenteritis - not a type of flu at all. Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the lining of the intestines caused by a virus, bacteria or parasites. Viral gastroenteritis is the second most common illness in the U.S. It spreads through contaminated food or water, and contact with an infected person. The best prevention is frequent hand washing.

Symptoms of gastroenteritis include diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, headache, fever and chills. Most people recover with no treatment.

The most common problem with gastroenteritis is dehydration. This happens if you do not drink enough fluids to replace what you lose through vomiting and diarrhea. Dehydration is most common in babies, young children, the elderly and people with weak immune systems.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Gastroenteritis on Wikipedia

'''Gastroenteritis''', or inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, is an illness of fever, diarrhoea and/or vomiting caused by an infectious virus, bacterium or parasite. It usually is of acute onset, normally lasting less than 10 days and self-limiting. Sometimes it is referred to simply as 'gastro'. It is often refered to as the stomach flu even though it is not related to influenza.

Aetiology

Viral causes

The most common viral causes of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in children <5 years of age in both developed nations as well as developing countries are rotavirus (up to 50% of the cases), noroviruses (the most common cause of outbreaks of AGE in all age groups), adenoviridae AD-40 and AD-41, astrovirus, and sapovirus.

Bacterial causes

This is less common in developed countries. ''Campylobacter jejuni'' is responsible for 5-10% of cases, whereas ''Salmonella'' species, ''Shigella'' species, and various pathogenic types of ''Escherichia coli'' account for a small percentage. In the third world enterotoxigenic, enteropathogenic and enteroinvasive ''Escherichia coli'' are important due to the sheer number of cases, whereas ''Shigella'' causes debilitating illness and has increasing resistance against cheap and readily available antibiotics. Cholera, caused by ''Vibrio cholerae'' is another important cause of acute diarrhoeal illness and subsequent death in the developing world.

Parasites

Outbreaks of ''Giardia lamblia'' can cause dehydrating diarrhoea in infants, and ''Cryptosporidium'' is known to cause 1-4% of cases of acute diarrhoea in hospitalised infants.

Epidemiology

Globally, diarrhea caused 4.6 million deaths in children in 1980 alone, most of these in the third world. This number has now come ... [ Read More ]

External Resources

CDC : Noroviruses - The organism is also known as Norwalk-like viruses or caliciviruses. The disease is also known as stomach flu or viral gastroenteritis. Includes cause, treatment, and prevention.

Norwalk Virus Gastroenteritis: A Different Type of Foodborne Illness, HYG-5569-98 - Ohio State University Extension fact sheet providing basic information on the subject.

Campylobacter - Learn about food poisoning and gastroenteritis, two illnesses commonly caused by campylobacter.

CDC: Viral Gastroenteritis - Discusses viruses that can cause gastroenteritis, including rotaviruses, adenoviruses, caliciviruses, astroviruses, Norwalk virus, and a group of Noroviruses.

Sherri's Lap Band Page - Sherri's personal story on the Lap-band. Site has pictures, her surgery story including doctor information, her progress, and information on Gastroenteritis and the band.

New England Journal of Medicine: Gastroenterology - Collection of medical research articles, case reports, reviews, and editorial commentary on Helicobacter pylori, pancreatitis, gastroenteritis and other topics related to gastroenterology.

Gastroenteritis in Children - Offers information about what it is, how it's caught, home treatment and when to seek medical advice.

Campylobacteriosis - Texto de A. Canals i Rosell sobre las características, situación mundial, bibliografía y medidas de control de Campylobacter spp. que se ha convertido en una de las causas más frecuentes de gastroenteritis bacterianas.

Gastroenteritis víricas caninas producidas por Parvovirus y Coronavirus - Aspectos endoscópico e histopatológico y revisión de los cuatro casos clínicos.

Gastroenteritis linfoplasmocitaria canina: descripción de dos casos clínicos - Causa frecuente de vómitos y diarreas crónicos en el perro de cualquier raza, su sintomalogía y análisis de dos casos concretos.