What is an intestinal infection? This is a viral, bacterial or parasitic infection that causes gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract that also affects the small intestine. Infections are one of the most common in primary care. Although they may not always be serious and often go away quickly, sometimes infection can have dire consequences.
Definition
If you answer the question of what an intestinal infection is, more globally, then for a start it is worth noting: symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Dehydration is the main danger of gastrointestinal infections, so rehydration is important, but most problems are limited to this and go away in a few days on their own. However, in healthcare facilities and in specific populations (newborns / infants, immunocompromised patients or the elderly) they are potentially serious. Rapid diagnosis, appropriate treatment and infection control are those measures that are especially important in these conditions.
And also it is worth knowing that such an intestinal infection can be caused by a large number of microorganisms. Let's consider them in more detail.
Adenovirus
This parasite can cause fever, conjunctivitis, bladder infections, and a rash, but the most common symptom is a respiratory illness. After rotavirus, this is the most common cause of childhood diarrhea. When it became clear what an intestinal infection is, parasites in this category can be studied.
Campylobacter
This species is one of the most common bacterial causes of gastroenteritis worldwide and is often found in children under two years of age. The parasite can cause diarrhea (sometimes bloody), abdominal cramps, vomiting, and fever. It is usually transferred through raw or undercooked meat (especially poultry) or through contaminated milk.
Clostridium difficile
Infection is the cause of nearly 25% of antibiotic-related diarrhea cases most commonly found in hospitals or healthcare facilities. Elderly and immunocompromised patients are at greatest risk. The recent emergence of highly toxic and resistant clostridium viruses has led to frequent and severe outbreaks, an increase in morbidity and mortality.
E. coli
It is the leading cause of diarrhea among travelers in developing countries, especially among children. People usually become infected with E. coli by drinking water contaminated with human or animal feces.
Escherichia coli O157: H7
It is a toxic form of E. coli bacteria bacteria. Symptoms of intestinal infection in adults, as in children, are bloody diarrhea and vomiting. Although the disease usually disappears in a few days, sometimes it can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and it can lead to renal failure if untreated.
Helicobacter pylori
It is the cause of gastritis and is associated with the development of stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers. A bacterium can cause symptoms of intestinal infection in adults, such as abdominal pain or nausea, but in many cases there are no pronounced changes. People who are sick have a risk of developing peptic ulcer and stomach cancer.
Rotavirus
It is the most common cause of diarrhea in young children and infants. The virus causes severe cases of poisoning. There is a vaccine for rotavirus, but worldwide, the disease causes more than ½ million deaths per year in children under the age of five. Most of them are in developing countries.
Salmonella and Shigella
These are foodborne diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Salmonella is common and found in raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs, as well as in milk and dairy products. Acute symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, and headache. Shigella is often found in water contaminated with human feces. Symptoms of bacterial dysentery include abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea, fever, vomiting and blood, pus or mucus in the feces.
Staphylococcus aureus
It is the most common cause of food intoxication, which is characterized by a sharp, severe onset, nausea, cramps, vomiting and diarrhea for 1-2 days. This opportunistic pathogen can be found in people in open areas (infected cuts, nose, and throat) and is associated with a wide range of products, including meat products, poultry and eggs, salads, baked goods, and milk.
Yersinia enterocolitic
It is a relatively rare cause of diarrhea and abdominal pain. Infection most often occurs when eating contaminated food, especially raw or undercooked pork, as well as ice cream and milk. Common symptoms are fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, which is often bloody.
Diagnosis
When symptoms indicate a possible gastrointestinal infection, they can be confirmed or refuted using laboratory tests used to detect antigen from stool samples. In some cases (for example, for E. coli, Salmonella, etc.) antibiotic susceptibility testing is used to determine the resistance of microorganisms to therapy, if necessary. Especially in a hospital setting, rapid diagnosis provides important information for infection control measures.
To find out the cause of diarrhea, it’s useful to think about where the contact was made - is it a food outbreak or “travelers diarrhea”.
- Food flash. Often a group of people who eat together suffer from the same disease. A public health problem, when widespread, affects individuals in different places and over a longer period of time. It is important to recognize and track epidemiologically to prevent more people from becoming infected. Escherichia coli, salmonella, campylobacter and staphylococcus are among the most common pathogens causing food outbreaks.
- "Diarrhea of travelers." The most common illness associated with staying in another country. People travel in places with pathogens other than the ones they are used to. Especially in regions where food and water pollution are more common. Most often transmitted by ingestion of food and fluids contaminated with feces. Most cases are caused by bacteria, including E. coli, Salmonella and Shigella.
Intestinal infection, treatment in adults and children: preventive measures
Best ways to prevent the disease:
- Proper hand washing.
- Disinfecting contaminated surfaces with bleach.
- Wash dirty clothes.
- Identify infected patients as soon as possible for enhanced control.
It should be understood that in the treatment of intestinal infections in adults, vaccines are not used. But there are exceptions:
- Rotavirus.
- Adenovirus.
- For C. difficile. But antibiotics should be avoided unnecessarily.
Treatments for symptoms of intestinal infection in children and adults include the following:
- Rehydration is oral and sometimes intravenous.
- In many cases of bacterial gastroenteritis, only symptomatic treatment is required (with fever, diarrhea).
- Antibiotics are usually not recommended, as they do not affect viral infections and can cause side effects. And excessive use increases the risk of developing resistant bacteria.
- Antibiotics can be recommended in especially severe cases of gastroenteritis, if the cause was a specific bacterium.
Many parents do not understand where intestinal infection comes from. Symptoms and treatment in children we will study in detail a little later. In the meantime, we will answer this question. Norovirus, as already noted, is the type that affects the mucous membrane of the small intestine, inhibiting its ability to absorb fluids and nutrients. It is the most common type of food poisoning. It is spread by infected food workers who touch ready-to-eat foods (such as fruits and vegetables) with their bare hands. This is often the source of outbreaks of intestinal infection in adults and children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, norovirus is highly contagious, especially in the winter months, and causes 19 to 21 million diseases per year.
Symptoms take 12 to 48 hours to develop; they usually last one to three days. A distinctive sign of rotavirus intestinal infection in adults and children is watery diarrhea. But the most important symptom to pay attention to is dehydration.
Prevention:
- Be sure to wash your hands! It is necessary to store soap in the bathrooms and by the kitchen sink. And everyone who cooks and serves food must observe hand hygiene throughout the process.
- And it’s also important to drop a small hand sanitizer into your wallet or bag.
Treatment of rotovirus intestinal infection in adults and children in most cases is not complicated. Most often, the disease requires a lot of rest, while undergoing antibiotic treatment. When pills are taken unnecessarily, they not only have side effects, but also result in waste of money. Also, excessive treatment may increase the likelihood of developing a resistant infection in the future.
If a person visits a doctor and believes that he may have norovirus, you must ask him to specifically check the blood for the presence of the virus.
Bacterial infections
Most viruses are transmitted through food and are usually caused by pathogens such as campylobacteriosis, salmonella, shigella. These bacteria attach to the intestinal mucosa and produce a toxin that causes excessive fluid secretion and inability to absorb water. They most often occur when eating undercooked poultry, beef, eggs or dairy products. Infection can also occur after close contact with animals or water contaminated with bacteria.
Symptoms are usually present within a day after infection. At this time, it is very difficult to determine which intestinal infections caused this condition. This is due to the fact that bacteria, in addition to the intestines, infect the stomach.
You can prevent infection in the following ways:
- Of course, there is no reason to avoid all your favorite foods, but it is the adoption of preventive measures to avoid pollution that is the key to enjoying food without consequences. Adequate hand hygiene and disinfection of kitchen utensils are important to prevent the spread of any disease and ensure proper cooking.
- You can take a meat thermometer and make sure that all parts reach a safe internal temperature.
You need to know the sources of intestinal infections, and you also need to understand what to do after infection. In this case, you should seek medical help if a person has blood in the stool, fever persists for the past two days, or if the abdominal pain is very severe. In most cases of bacterial gastroenteritis, the doctor will recommend a fecal test to determine which organism is the causative agent.
What is BG?
Gastroenteritis occurs when a bacterial infection in the intestine appears. It also causes inflammation in the stomach. During bacterial gastroenteritis, a person may also experience symptoms such as vomiting, severe abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Some people call this infection "food poisoning."
Bacterial gastroenteritis (BG) can result from poor hygiene. Infection can also occur after the transmission of intestinal infections from animals or the ingestion of food and water with toxic substances.
Symptoms of bacterial gastroenteritis vary depending on the bacteria causing the infection. These may include:
- Loss of appetite.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Diarrhea.
- Abdominal pain and cramping.
- Blood in the stool.
- Fever.
Intestinal infections can be very dangerous, so you need to call a doctor if the person’s condition does not improve within five days (two for children). If a child older than three months of vomiting lasts 12 hours, it is also worth visiting a hospital.
Treatment of bacterial gastroenteritis
The treatment is intended to avoid complications. It is important not to lose too much salt, as the body needs certain amounts of it in order to function properly.
If a person has a serious case of bacterial gastroenteritis, then there may be hospitalization with the introduction of additional fluid and salt. Antibiotics are usually needed only for the most severe cases.
Home Remedies for Mild Cases
Of course, a diagnosis of intestinal infections is necessary, but if the symptoms are minor, you can get by with the following tips:
- Drink fluids regularly throughout the day, especially after bouts of diarrhea.
- Eat little and often and include some salty foods.
- Consume foods or drinks with potassium, such as fruit juices and bananas.
- Do not take any medicine without consulting your doctor.
- A few ingredients that anyone can find at home can help balance electrolytes and cure diarrhea. For example: ginger can help fight bacteria and relieve stomach pain. Apple cider vinegar and basil can calm the stomach, strengthen.
- Avoid dairy, fruit, and high fiber foods to prevent diarrhea from getting worse.
Over-the-counter medications that neutralize the acidity of the stomach can help fight the problem. And also pills that treat symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain. But do not abuse the medication!
Causes of bacterial gastroenteritis
Numerous viruses can cause BG, for example:
- Yersinia found in pork.
- Shigella - in water (often in pools).
- Campylobacter - in the bird.
- E. coli - in ground beef and salads.
- Staphylococcus, found in dairy products, meat and eggs.
- Salmonella - in meat, dairy products and eggs.
Outbreaks of bacterial gastroenteritis can occur when contaminated food is served in restaurants. And also low-quality products can be purchased at any store.
BG can be easily transmitted from one person to another if someone carries bacteria on his hands. Every time an infected person touches food, objects, he risks spreading the disease. A person can cause an infection to enter his own body even if he touches his eyes, mouth, or other exposed parts with infected hands.
A person is especially at risk if he travels a lot or lives in a crowded place. To prevent this, you need to wash your hands often and use a disinfectant with an alcohol content of more than 60%, this will help to avoid infection from others.
Prevention of bacterial gastroenteritis
If a person already has the disease, precautions must be taken to avoid spread.
You need to wash your hands after visiting the restroom and before working with food. Do not cook for other people until your condition improves. And also close contact should be avoided. After the symptoms have stopped, you should try to wait at least 48 hours before returning to work.
It is also possible to prevent bacterial infections of gastroenteritis by avoiding the use of unpasteurized milk, raw meat or seafood. When cooking, you need to use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw and cooked foods. Salads and vegetables must be washed thoroughly. Be sure to store products at very high or low temperatures, if you need to store them for more than two hours.
Protecting against bacterial intestinal infection also means keeping the kitchen clean, washing your hands after touching animals, drinking bottled water while traveling abroad and getting recommended and timely vaccines.