To avoid dehydration, follow the advice given in Hydrating and rehydrating when you have gastroenteritis. A nurse will evaluate your condition and give you the appropriate recommendations. Gastroenteritis is a contagious illness. An infected person can transmit the illness as long they have symptoms and up to 2 weeks after they have disappeared.
He or she can be contagious even a few weeks after symptoms have subsided. You can protect yourself from gastroenteritis and avoid transmission by adopting simple hygiene measures:.
You can find additional hygiene measures at Preventing transmission of viruses and bacteria. Rotavirus is the main virus responsible for gastroenteritis in children. Giving young children vaccination against this virus is the best way to protect them against gastroenteritis. Depending on the vaccine used, 2 or 3 doses are required. Children must receive the first dose of the vaccine before the age of 20 weeks and the last before 8 months. Information on the website in no way replaces the opinion of a health professional.
If you have questions concerning your health status, consult a professional. View content. Gastroenteritis stomach flu. Symptoms The main symptoms of gastroenteritis are the following: Diarrhea: at least 3 liquid or semi-liquid stools every 24 hours or stool that is more abundant and frequent than usual Abdominal cramps Nausea Vomiting Other symptoms may sometimes appear: Mild fever Headache Muscle pain Symptoms of gastroenteritis usually last 24 to 72 hours.
When to consult Gastroenteritis is generally not serious. However, if your diarrhea started during a trip abroad or upon your return, it could last more than a week You can find a resource near you offering medical consultation on the same or next day. Go to emergency immediately You should go to emergency immediately if you or your child are in one of the following situations: You have a lot of blood in your stool, or your stool is black You have diarrhea with intense abdominal pain You have diarrhea, extreme thirst, have not urinated in 12 hours You are vomiting frequently, and it does not slow down after 4 to 6 hours There is stool or blood red in colour or ground coffee-like in your vomit Your general health is deteriorating weakness, drowsiness, irritability, confusion.
Treatment Rehydrating yourself and eating well are the two main ways of treating gastroenteritis. There is no specific treatment for viral gastroenteritis except rest and drinking plenty of fluids. Most people will recover without complications. However, viral gastroenteritis can be serious infants, people with suppressed immune systems and the elderly. People caring for those with gastroenteritis should wash hands thoroughly with soap and running water after any contact with the sick person.
Cleaning soiled surfaces and clothing reduces further spread of the virus. Outbreaks of viral gastroenteritis increase in winter and are common within families and group settings including nursing homes, hospitals, childcare centres, and schools. Doctors and hospitals are required to notify their local public health unit whenever there are at least two cases of gastroenteritis that are linked.
You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Skip to content Contact us Emergency information. Home Infectious diseases Fact sheets Viral gastroenteritis fact sheet Fact sheets Currently selected Control guidelines. Gastroenteritis is commonly caused by viral infections resulting in vomiting and diarrhoea. The viruses are easily spread from person to person. Thorough washing of hands with soap and running water are vital to prevent spread.
Last updated: 27 July What is viral gastroenteritis? This includes food poisoning, where bacterial toxins consumed in contaminated food rapidly cause symptoms. Although infectious gastroenteritis usually resolves on its own, in some cases it can lead to severe consequences, chiefly through dehydration.
Worldwide, 1. Symptoms can occur as soon as 30 minutes after exposure to the culprit organism or toxin. But most often, symptoms develop 12 to 72 hours after exposure.
Acute infectious gastroenteritis usually resolves within two weeks but severe cases can last several weeks. Viruses such as rotavirus , norovirus , adenovirus and astrovirus are common causes of infectious gastroenteritis. Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe acute gastroenteritis in infants and young children. Almost every child in the world will suffer at least one infection by the time they are three years old.
Norovirus is the leading cause of gastroenteritis in adults. Norovirus is highly contagious and outbreaks commonly occur in residential care facilities and hospitals. Patients can remain contagious for at least 48 hours after their symptoms have disappeared. Escherichia coli e. They are often found in contaminated foods including raw or undercooked meat, poultry, seafood and unpasteurised milk.
Some parasites such as Giardia lamblia , entamoeba histolytica and cryptosporidium are known to cause gastroenteritis.
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