Viral infection of the gastrointestinal tract, or gastroenteritis, is a troublesome ailment that can affect anyone's body. A digestive tract infection is also called stomach flu or intestinal flu, although the disease has nothing to do with the flu.

Digestive tract infectioncan be caused not only by viruses, but also bacteria and parasites.

Digestive tract infection - causes

1. Viruses

  • rotaviruses - are the most common cause of viral gastrointestinal infection in children. They are a rarer cause of the disease among adults
  • noroviruses - are the main cause of viral gastrointestinal infection among adults
  • adenoviruses and astroviruses - are a rare cause of gastrointestinal infections, both in children and adults

Bacteria

  • Campylobacter jejuni - is the main cause of bacterial infection of the gastrointestinal tract, half of which is related to contact with poultry
  • Escherichia coli
  • Salmonella
  • Shigella
  • Campylobacter

Parasites

  • Giardia lamblia, meaning the intestinal petiole
  • Entamoeba histolytica, or amoeba of dysentery
  • Cryptosporidium

Digestive tract infection - symptoms

  • stomach pains
  • diarrhea
  • vomiting
  • fever

A digestive tract infection usually passes after a few days. If the symptoms persist for more than 3-5 days, contact a doctor (if the dehydration of the body is high and the fever is high, it should be done even earlier).

Digestive tract infection - treatment

It is true that there is no medicine to fight the stomach flu virus, but you can alleviate unpleasant ailments and prevent dehydration of the body. There are over-the-counter medications available at the pharmacy to help replenish the electrolytes rinsed out of the body and prevent troublesome diarrhea.

Category:

Gastrology