Content
Viral gastroenteritis is a very common disease, especially in children under 5 years old and the elderly, being the most frequent cause of infectious diarrhea, which can cause other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, and can last from 7 to 10 days.
Viral gastroenteritis is usually cured at home, with rest, drinking plenty of fluids and eating properly.
Main symptoms
Symptoms that can be caused by viral gastroenteritis are diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, muscle pain, fever, chills and dehydration.
Possible causes
Viral gastroenteritis can be caused by rotavirus, norovirus, astrovirus and adenovirus, with rotavirus being the most common cause, which are transmitted through contaminated food and objects.
Know other causes of gastroenteritis and know what to do.
How transmission occurs
The transmission of the infection occurs through the fecal-oral route, through the contamination of water, food and objects contaminated with the rotavirus, norovirus, astrovirus and adenovirus viruses. Some of these viruses are resistant to high temperatures, up to 60ºC and, therefore, the virus can be transmitted even through hot drinks.
It is still very common to have outbreaks in closed environments, such as daycare centers, hospitals, schools and cruise excursions, due to the high proximity between people and the meals they eat in common. Rotavirus is the most frequent agent, accounting for about 60% of all diarrhea episodes in developing countries and about 40% in more developed countries.
How to prevent gastroenteritis
To prevent gastroenteritis, it is important to perform proper personal and food hygiene, such as:
- Wash and keep your hands clean;
- Cover your mouth and nose with tissues when you sneeze or cough or use the fold of your arm;
- Avoid sharing towels with other people;
- Store food properly;
- Store cooked food between 0 ℃ and 5 ℃ for as few days as possible;
- Separate raw food from cooked food, which must be processed with different utensils;
- Cook food thoroughly, with sufficient heat, especially poultry and eggs;
- Keep utensils and cutlery very clean and avoid sharing.
In addition, there is also a vaccine indicated to prevent Rotavirus infections, which is given to children, to stimulate their immune system to produce antibodies against the most common types of Rotavirus. Learn more about this vaccine.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis consists of the evaluation of the signs and symptoms by the doctor, who sometimes requests the research of which virus is causing the diarrhea, through an immunological method, through the detection of viral antigens in the feces.
How the treatment is done
Treatment depends on the severity of the infection and the person's response and is usually treated at home. One of the most important measures is to avoid dehydration by drinking fluids and oral rehydration serum, which can be prepared at home or purchased at pharmacies. In some cases, dehydration may have to be treated in the hospital, by administering serum into the vein.
In addition, it is important to eat carefully, which should be light and easy to digest to provide the necessary nutrients, without causing vomiting or diarrhea, and foods such as rice, cooked fruits, lean meats such as chicken breast and toast should be preferred. , and avoid foods like milk and dairy products, coffee, foods with a lot of fat and a lot of sugar and alcohol.
In some cases, the doctor may even prescribe medication to relieve symptoms, such as Plasil or Dramin for nausea and vomiting, Paracetamol for fever and abdominal pain.