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What To Know About Viral Gastroenteritis (Stomach Flu)
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Viral gastroenteritis can cause nausea and vomiting. You can get the virus that causes it from other people or through contaminated foods, drinks, or surfaces. Washing your hands often may help prevent it.
Viral gastroenteritis is an inflammation and irritation of your intestines caused by one of a number of viruses, most commonly norovirus or rotavirus. This illness is also known as the stomach flu.
This highly contagious illness spreads through close contact with people who have the virus or through contaminated food or water.
It can easily spread in close quarters, such as:
This article will help you understand more about viral gastroenteritis including symptoms, causes, treatment, and prevention.
Symptoms of gastroenteritis usually begin shortly after infection. For example, symptoms caused by norovirus typically develop within 12 to 48 hours. Symptoms from adenoviruses may be delayed 3 to 10 days after contact.
Depending on which type of virus you've contracted, symptoms can last anywhere from 1 to 14 days. Symptoms often start suddenly over the course of 1 or 2 hours.
Symptoms can include:
Diarrhea caused by viral gastroenteritis isn't usually bloody. Blood in your stool could be a sign of a more severe infection.
You should seek emergency medical treatment if:
In addition to the above symptoms, you should seek emergency attention for your child if they have the appearance of sunken eyes or if they aren't making tears when they cry.
Viral gastroenteritis is caused by a number of different viruses. It's easy for these viruses to spread in group situations. Some of the ways the virus is transmitted include:
Viral gastroenteritis affects people of all ages all over the world. But some factors can increase the risk of contracting viral gastroenteritis. People who are at a higher risk include:
Other factors that may increase the risk of becoming ill with viral gastroenteritis include:
Several different types of viruses can cause viral gastroenteritis. The most common include:
Let's look at each of these viruses in more detail.
NorovirusNorovirus is highly contagious and can affect anyone at any age. It spreads through contaminated food, water, and surfaces, or by people who have the virus. Norovirus is common in crowded spaces.
Norovirus is the leading cause of gastroenteritis in the United States and worldwide. Most outbreaks in the United States occur between November and April.
Symptoms include:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most people who become ill with norovirus start to feel better within 1 to 3 days of symptom onset.
RotavirusRotavirus commonly affects infants and young children. Those who contract it can then pass the virus to other children and adults. It's usually contracted and transmitted via the mouth.
Symptoms typically appear within 2 days of infection and include:
A rotavirus vaccine was approved for infants in 2006. Early vaccination is recommended to prevent severe rotavirus illnesses in infants and small children.
AdenovirusThe adenovirus affects people of all ages. It can cause several types of illness, including gastroenteritis. The adenovirus can also cause common cold-like symptoms, bronchitis, pneumonia, and pink eye (conjunctivitis).
Children in daycare, especially those under 2 years of age, are more likely to get adenovirus.
Adenovirus is passed through the air via sneezing and coughing, by touching contaminated objects, or by touching the hands of someone with the virus.
Symptoms associated with adenovirus include:
Most children will feel better within a few days of experiencing adenovirus symptoms. However, symptoms such as pink eye may last longer than a few days.
AstrovirusAstrovirus is another virus that commonly causes gastroenteritis in children. Symptoms associated with astrovirus include:
The virus most often affects people in late winter and early spring. It's transmitted through contact with a person who has the virus or via an infected surface or food.
Symptoms usually appear within 2 to 3 days after initial exposure, and the virus will usually go away within 1 to 4 days.
The main complication of viral gastroenteritis is dehydration, which can be quite severe in babies and young children. Viral gastroenteritis accounts for over 200,000 childhood deaths worldwide per year.
Other complications of viral gastroenteritis include:
Dehydration can be life threatening. Call your doctor if you or your child have these symptoms:
Dehydration that accompanies viral gastroenteritis can lead to several complications of its own. These include:
To prevent complications, get immediate medical attention if you or your child have symptoms of dehydration.
Most of the time, your medical history and physical exam are the basis for diagnosis, especially if there's evidence that the virus is spreading through your community.
Your doctor may also order a stool sample to test for the type of virus, or to find out if your illness is caused by a parasitic or bacterial infection.
The main focus of treatment is to prevent dehydration by drinking plenty of fluids. In severe cases, hospitalization and intravenous fluids may be necessary.
Over-the-counter oral rehydration solutions (OHS), such as Pedialyte, can be helpful in mild cases. These solutions are easy on your child's stomach, and contain a balanced mixture of water and salts to replenish essential fluids and electrolytes.
These solutions are available at local pharmacies and don't require a prescription. However, you should follow the instructions carefully.
Antibiotics have no effect on viruses. Check with your physician before taking any over-the-counter medications.
Shop online for oral rehydration solutions such as Pedialyte and oral electrolyte products.
Treating diarrhea and vomitingDiarrhea can be treated in adults with over-the-counter medications such as loperamide (Imodium) or bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol).
Your doctor may also prescribe probiotics to replace the healthy bacteria that's lost during diarrhea or they may prescribe medications to treat severe vomiting.
What to eat and what to avoidAs you start to feel better and reintroduce foods into your diet, it's best to opt for bland foods, such as:
These foods are easier to digest and less likely to cause further stomach upset. Until you're feeling better, you may want to avoid some types of foods, such as:
In addition to rehydrating and resting, there are some natural and home remedies that may help you relieve the symptoms of viral gastroenteritis.
Heating pad or heat packIf you have abdominal pain, try applying a low-temperature heating pad or a warm heat pack to your stomach. Cover the heating pad with a cloth and don't leave it on for more than 15 minutes at a time.
The heat can help relax the muscles in your digestive tract and keep them from spasming.
Shop online for heating pads and heat packs.
Brown rice waterSome parents serve rice water to their children. This is the water that remains after boiling brown rice. It's high in electrolytes and can help with rehydration.
To make rice water:
Products containing ginger, such as ginger ale or ginger tea, may help soothe an upset stomach.
A 2019 review of studies found that a divided daily dose of 1,500 milligrams of ginger taken in two parts throughout the day may help reduce nausea. More research needs to be done on ginger's ability to treat other gastrointestinal symptoms.
Shop online for ginger ale and ginger tea.
MintMint may also have anti-nausea properties similar to those of ginger. Sipping a soothing mint tea may help you feel better.
Studies have found that peppermint oil may help relax the muscles in your gut. It also has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Shop online for mint tea.
Yogurt or kefirAlthough dairy products should be avoided when you have your most acute symptoms, eating unflavored yogurt with live active cultures or drinking kefir may help restore your body's natural bacterial balance after illness.
Shop online for plain yogurt and kefir.
Viral gastroenteritis can spread easily. However, there are some steps you can take to lower your risk of contracting the virus or passing it to others.
Viral gastroenteritis is an inflammation and irritation of your intestines caused by one of several types of viruses.
Vomiting and diarrhea are among the most common symptoms. You can get viral gastroenteritis from other people or through contaminated foods, drinks, or surfaces.
Generally, viral gastroenteritis symptoms come on suddenly and pass quickly. If diarrhea lasts longer than 48 hours, be sure to follow up with your doctor.
It's also a good idea to get medical attention if your infant or young child develops diarrhea because it can lead to serious complications due to dehydration.
Ask The Doctors: Peptic Ulcers Often Develop Due To Bacteria Infection
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Generated by cloudfront (CloudFront) Request ID: vV7GSQU3_rmBaSZNJxquakSBGFj8cvp9qRPrBm8pr7aza8c7EpJ7Bw==As Norovirus Spreads In California, How Can You Protect Yourself? Don't Rely On Hand Sanitizer
The highly contagious norovirus, sometimes referred to as the stomach flu, is on the rise in California, prompting state health officials to urge healthcare providers to step up disinfection efforts in a bid to check the spread.
There have been at least 25 outbreaks of norovirus since Feb. 1, probably adding up to hundreds of cases statewide, according to a recent advisory from the California Department of Public Health.
They include several outbreaks at long-term-care facilities and one severe enough to force a Los Angeles County elementary school to temporarily close.
"Gastrointestinal outbreaks are often not confirmed by laboratory testing, so the true number of norovirus outbreaks likely well exceeds those confirmed by laboratory testing," state health officials wrote in a March 28 advisory.
Norovirus illness is sometimes referred to as a stomach bug or stomach flu, but it is unrelated to the flu, or influenza, which is a respiratory virus.
The EPA provided this undated electron beam micrograph showing a norovirus. The virus causes severe intestinal infections that can even be life-threatening in young children and the elderly. (F.P. Williams, U.S. EPA / Associated Press)
The highly contagious norovirus causes diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain. It can spread through direct contact with an infected individual, by consuming contaminated food or water, or when someone touches a contaminated surface and then puts unwashed hands into his or her mouth.
An example of such spread was recently seen at Carver Elementary School in Long Beach. Illnesses at the campus were first reported to health officials on Feb. 22, and by mid-March, 126 students and 10 staff members had reported "gastrointestinal symptoms," according to a spokesperson with the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services.
The school had to close for several days so officials could deep-clean the campus to control the outbreak.
In California, surveillance programs have shown "rising trends of norovirus concentrations detected in wastewater monitoring sites throughout the state, with large increases since mid-January," according to the state public health department.
"To date, the trends at many California sites have not yet decreased to previous low levels, suggesting continued elevated norovirus disease activity in many areas," the advisory states.
The trouble with norovirus is it can be hard to get a handle on. It can linger on surfaces for weeks, setting the stage for spread in crowded or highly trafficked areas where people are not regularly washing their hands or are more susceptible to infection. Such settings can include schools, child-care centers, healthcare facilities, cruise ships and nursing homes.
Although alcohol-based hand sanitizers can reduce germs on the skin in many circumstances, they are less effective in combating norovirus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Many people aren't aware that hand sanitizers do not work against norovirus. A suspected outbreak struck in 2018 during the Camp fire in Butte County at two evacuation centers, where staff members and evacuees didn't know that hand-washing with soap and water — rather than using sanitizer — was required to control norovirus transmission, according to a report published by the CDC.
And a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control in 2011 found that long-term-care facilities where staff routinely used alcohol-based hand sanitizers — instead of soap and water — "might be associated with increased risk of norovirus outbreaks."
Because of this, health officials say it's important to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to help prevent transmission.
If people need to clean soiled areas, including vomit or diarrhea, officials say, it's important to disinfect the area with a bleach-based household cleaner. One example could be using a chlorine bleach solution with five to 25 tablespoons of household bleach per gallon of water.
Federal officials have posted a list of special antimicrobial products that do work against norovirus,
"Norovirus is highly contagious and can survive for weeks on surfaces and objects," California health officials said in a statement. "Thorough disinfection while using personal protective equipment (PPE) should follow any patient seen for confirmed or suspected infection."
Healthcare providers also should report suspected or confirmed outbreaks to health authorities, state officials said.
Increases in norovirus activity have been observed nationwide since mid-January.
The bulk of outbreaks happen from November through April, according to the CDC. In a typical year, the virus can cause 19 million to 21 million cases of vomiting or diarrhea, 109,000 hospitalizations and 900 deaths, mostly among seniors.
It typically takes half a day to three days from exposure to the onset of illness, which typically begins with an abrupt onset of nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhea and abdominal pain, state health officials said. People typically recover after two or three days.
Doctors caution, however, that dehydration is a risk, and especially severe symptoms can occur in infants, immunocompromised individuals and older people, according to the CDC.
Food can be contaminated by small particles of feces or vomit from an infected person, including when tiny particles of vomit spray through the air.
Ill people who have recovered should still stay home from school or work for at least 48 hours after symptoms have ended, the state public health department said. People can be contagious with norovirus even a couple of days after they feel better.
According to the CDC, 61% of outbreaks involving diarrhea or vomiting are spread through contact like shaking hands or touching a dirty surface and then touching your mouth.
"Norovirus survives readily in the environment and is relatively resistant to common disinfectants. Therefore, norovirus can spread easily, particularly in closed and crowded settings, and can be challenging to control," state officials said.
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