As a mother, I know the dread of hearing a gastro bug is going around the daycare, school or netball team. Diarrhoea and vomiting can stun a healthy child for days and wreak havoc on a family for weeks. As a paediatrician, with extensive research experience in acute gastroenteritis (gastro), I also understand the effects on the community, our hospitals and our most vulnerable patients.
In the past year , Australia has experienced a surge in gastro cases due to a bug called cryptosporidium , which particularly affects children. Cryptosporidium is not the only cause of gastro, but its spread provides a timely reminder to think about what we can do to manage and prevent this nasty illness. Gastro is characterised by the rapid onset of diarrhoea, or vomiting, or both, which lasts fewer than 14 days .
These symptoms may be accompanied by tummy pain, nausea, appetite loss and fever. Hundreds of strains of different pathogens may infect the gut to cause gastro. Worldwide, viral pathogens (such as rotavirus or norovirus) are the most common cause , but bacterial pathogens (such as Salmonella or E.
coli ) and parasites (such as Giardia and cryptosporidium ) also cause gastro. Traveller’s diarrhoea may involve pathogens rarely seen in Australia, such as typhoid and cholera. Gastro is usually transmitted from person to person , including through contact with saliva, vomit or faeces.
It may also be acquired by ingesting contaminated water or food (food poisoning), swimming in contamina.
