Gastroenteritis symptoms, also described as an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, are fever, diarrhea and vomiting caused by infection with viruses, bacteria or parasites.
Usually very acute onset, normally lasting less than 10 days and self-limiting. Every so often it is referred to simply as 'gastro'. Often called the stomach flu or stomach flu although it is not related to influenza.
If the inflammation is only found in the stomach, the term gastritis is used, and only if the small intestine is affected is called enteritis.
Less common bacterial cause in developed countries. Campylobacter jejuni is responsible for 5-10% of all cases, whereas Salmonella species, Shigella species, and various types of pathogenic Escherichia coli accounted for a small percentage.
In the developing world enterotoxigenic, enteropathogenic and enteroinvasive E. coli is very important because the number of cases, while Shigella cause debilitating disease and have increased resistance to antibiotics and the low prices available.
Cholera, caused by Vibrio cholerae is one of the more important causes of disease following acute diarrhea and death in developing countries.
Viruses are the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis (age) in children less than 5 years, in developed countries and developing countries.
Rotavirus group (up to 50% of cases), noroviruses (the most common cause of outbreaks of age in all age groups), adenovirus type 40 and 41, astrovirus, and sapovirus eventually.
Outbreaks of Giardia lamblia can cause dehydrating diarrhea in infants, and Cryptosporidium are known to cause 1-4% of cases of acute diarrhea in infants hospitalized.
Diarrhea worldwide caused 4.6 million deaths in children in 1980 alone, and mostly in developing countries.
This figure has now dropped further to approximately 1.5 million deaths annually, mainly due to the global introduction of oral rehydration therapy is right (Victora et al 2000).
Commonness in developed countries as high as 1-2.5 cases per child per year and the leading cause of hospitalization in this age group.