Gastroenteritis is contagious. The large majority of causes (viral and bacterial) of gastroenteritis are contagious, usually through food or water contamination. In addition, they can be transferred person to person. Exposures to body fluids (for example, feces or droplets containing infectious agents) are common sources that transmit the disease to others (See transmission section). A few causes of gastroenteritis are not contagious, for example, food allergies or the side effects of medications.

Gastroenteritis (stomach flu) is a common, worldwide disease and almost everyone suffers from it a few times in their life because it is almost impossible to avoid contact with some of the viral and bacterial causes. It is an illness triggered by the infection and inflammation of the digestive system. Typical symptoms include abdominal cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting. In many cases, the condition heals itself within a few days.

Cause

The most common cause of gastroenteritis is a virus. The main types are rotavirus and norovirus. Rotavirus is the world's most common cause of diarrhea in infants and young children. Norovirus is the most common cause of serious gastroenteritis and also foodborne disease outbreaks in the U.S.

Another bacteria, shigella, is often passed around in day care centers. It typically is spread from person to person, and common sources of infection are contaminated food and drinking water. Parasites can also cause gastroenteritis, but it's not common.

Complications

The main complication of gastroenteritis is dehydration, but this can be prevented if the fluid lost in vomit and diarrhoea is replaced. A person suffering from severe gastroenteritis may need fluids administered intravenously (directly into the bloodstream via a vein – the setup is often referred to as a ‘drip’). Some of the causes of gastroenteritis include viruses, bacteria, bacterial toxins, parasites, particular chemicals and some drugs.

Treatment

Endoscopic ultrasound guided treatment is a new modality for treatment of GV and this has emerged as a valuable tool for diagnosis, treatment planning, evaluation of treatment efficacy, estimation of recurrent bleeding potential and also helps visualize varices, perforating veins, collateral veins and allows predict varices at high risk. Romero-Castro et al. in their small case series injected cyanoacrylate-lipiodol into GV at the level of perforating veins, under EUS guidance.

It's usually caused by a bacterial or viral tummy bug. In some cases, adults can take over-the-counter medicines such as loperamide link (Imodium) and bismuth subsalicylate link (Pepto-Bismol, Kaopectate) to treat diarrhea caused by viral gastroenteritis. Hand washing, using soap and running water, is the best way to prevent the virus from spreading to other members of the family.

Clinical Gastroenterology Journal accepts original manuscripts in the form of research articles, review articles, Clinical reviews, commentaries, case reports, perspectives and short communications encompassing all aspects of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology for publication in open access platform. The editorial office of the journal promises a peer review process for the submitted manuscripts for the quality of publishing.

Regards
Jessica Watson
Managing Editor
Clinical Gastroenterology Journal