Gastroenteritis, sometimes referred to as infectious diarrhoea is a common disease that affects millions of people annually. It is a disease caused by viruses, bacteria or parasites that enter the human body and spread, which induce symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and nausea. Although it is a common occurrence in society and is usually not harmful, cases of gastroenteritis in less developed countries may have more fatal repercussions due to their inability to access ample means of treatment. Over time, as more research was conducted into the disease, scientific developments were made to aid those affected by gastroenteritis and reduce the number of fatalities by educating people regarding preventative methods.
TRANSMISSION
…show more content…
The most common cause of gastroenteritis in adults is the transmission of norovirus; a viral infection that spreads from fecal matter. Noroviruses are highly contagious and can spread directly from person to person, or indirectly through contaminated water and food. When a person is infected, the norovirus attacks their small intestine, entering a host cell by attaching to receptors and triggering endocytosis. It then proceeds to replicate itself, increasing the number of infected cells in the body. Symptoms appear roughly 1-2 days after the initial exposure to the virus, and lasts between 1-3 days. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and a loss of appetite are common symptoms of norovirus, however sufferers may also experience muscle aches, weakness and mild fevers and headaches. Rotavirus is another prevalent agent that causes gastroenteritis, however it only affects infants and young children, due to the fact that immunity against it is developed after infection. It is incredibly common and virtually every child in the world experiences symptoms of the rotavirus before they reach the age of …show more content…
Approximately 844 million people (one tenth of the population) in the world do not have access to clean and 2.3 billion do not have access to a decent toilet. This poor sanitation and contaminated water quality is the cause of death for over 289 000 children under the age of 5 every year.
Local epidemics are common in places where people are physically close to each other for a length of time. It is common for outbreaks to occur in hospitals, restaurants, cruise ships and schools, due to people consuming the same food, drinking the same water and having direct contact with each other.
PREVENTION
Most cases of gastroenteritis occur due to poor sanitation in communities. The easiest way to avoid the disease is washing hands with soap before eating, after using the toilet or after coming into contact with others. It is also important to prepare food properly and drink water from clean sources to avoid bacteria from entering the body and causing infection. Vaccinations for the rotavirus are also available for children all around the world and have been found to be
Crohn’s disease is a disease that causes inflammation, swelling, and irritation to any part of the digestive tract which is also known as the gastrointestinal tract or GI tract. The disease most commonly targets the ileum which is a part in the small intestine. The digestive tract is organs that connect your mouth to your anus and it releases hormones and enzymes for the digestion in food. The inflammation caused by the disease goes deep into the lining of the digestive tract. It creates a stricture in the small intestine which is a narrowing of the pathway that can slow the movement of food through the intestine. The stricture can then move to large intestine which can cause many problems for absorption. When the disease causes the intestine to swell it can also be very problematic because the large intestine wouldn’t be able to function properly. Crohn’s disease is considered as an inflammatory bowel disease.
Norovirus, also known as the "Norwalk Virus", is a highly contagious food-related illness that got its name when it was first discovered in Norwalk, Ohio in 19721. It is said to be frequently found in cruise ships, daycares and nursing homes that hold large amounts of people in close proximity2.Causes of Norovirus include a cook or bartender serving food or drink without washing their hands properly, having direct or close contact with someone is infected (touching them and then touching the mouth or nose) and drinking an infected person's water or using their utensils1. The very first cause listed is something an individual may not be able to control, which is why norovirus is so common and contagious.
For example, those who travel to or live in countries where Hepatitis A is common, have sexual contact with someone who has Hepatitis A, men who have sexual encounters with other men, those who use recreation drugs, have clotting-factor disorders, or are household members or caregiver of someone who is infected with the virus. Other risk factors include intermediate and high endemicity areas include poor sanitation and regulations and lack of safe water. Also, residents from regions with low endemicity for the Hepatitis A Virus infection often remains susceptible in their adulthood. In areas where the virus is wide spread, most Hepatitis A infections occur during early childhood because children tend to ingest everything. As mentioned earlier, adults have signs and symptoms of illness more often than children. The severity of the disease and its fatal outcomes are higher in older age
Ulcerative colitis progresses from the rectum and moves proximally. Distal disease refers to inflammation that is limited to the rectum (proctitis) or rectum and sigmoid colon. Here it is referred to as proctosigmioditis. If the disease is more extensive it includes the left side of the colon and can cover the splenic flexure. This occurs in 40% of patients. Extensive colitis occurs up to the hepatic flexure. Pan colitis affects the whole of the colon and this can affect up to 20% of patients. Some patients with pan colitis have involvement of the terminal ileum, this is caused by an incompetent ileocaecal valve.
Do you know that the bacterium behind ulcers was discovered by accident? In 1982, two Australian doctors Barry Marshall and Robin Warren were trying to culture the bacteria but it was extremely difficult. When they wanted to culture the bacteria, they only waited the usual two days for each experiment. One day they accidently left some Petri dishes in the lab and went on the Easter holiday. After five days when they came back, growth of colonies on the Petri dishes were noticed. They were the first scientists who could culture the bacteria. Later, those bacteria were named Helicobacter pylori. This discovery helped in understanding ulcers. Marshall and Warren were awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize for their discovery of H. pylori. These bacteria are widespread worldwide. More than 50% of the world population is infected with H. pylori; although, not everyone who is infected with H. pylori suffer its symptoms. Because of its high prevalence, scholars are studying its spread trying to find how we get infected. About 30 years since the discovery of H. pylori and still different scholars are giving different hypotheses of the mechanism of H. pylori spread. By looking at the different suggested hypotheses of the mechanisms of spread, it becomes clear that they are related to culturally-specific habits because of the biological mechanisms of spread. This suggests that effective prevention will involve different mechanisms of public awareness and educational campaigns that challenge cultural beliefs, values, and practices.
The way in which this problem was able to occur is that because now we have things like hospitals, or other sorts of locations used to aid the public we have now created the opportunity for many people with different illnesses to all accompany each other. This in turn has created a breading ground for bacteria. Thus the more compact the area, like the ER, the more likely to catch some form of illness. Since M.R.S.A. has become too prevalent in the world the likely-hood of people contracting the disease is much higher. Also since it doesn’t require a host for survival, touching contaminated surfaces can transmit it. There have even been instances where hospital staffs accidently were carrying the disease around the hospital on their uniforms. In a study done by Russel Olmsted, 60% of doctors and 65% of nurses were found caring M.R.S.A. on their uniforms. This leads to the risk that every patient they helped or were near during the time they were contaminated are now at risk for the disease (MNT, 2011).
No matter what, where, or who you are, water is a necessary component to keeping any organism alive. Although water is essential for life, in many places, clean drinking water is hard to find. There are many consequences to drinking contaminated water. Every year, three to five million people are attacked by water-borne diseases and over 100,000 of them die. One fatal disease that can kill within hours is cholera.
Gastroparesis is defined as a chronic symptomatic syndrome of delayed gastric emptying without any indications of mechanical obstruction.1 The etiologies for gastroparesis are diverse, but a majority of cases are from idiopathic causes or secondary to diabetes mellitus.2 In a study done of 146 patients with gastroparesis, 36% were suffering from idiopathic gastroparesis, 29% from diabetic gastroparesis and the remaining 35% had a variety of etiologies which included: postgastric surgery, Parkinson’s disease, collagen vascular disorders, intestinal pseudoobstruction and miscellaneous causes.3
In the Nepal’s example on the web, the child sickness was due to lack of education on food hygiene and lack of infrastructure (sanitation and drinking water). Thus, teaching the mother about treating water before drinking and the importance of hygiene in handling aliments would prevent the child diarrhea episode and even save the other son that died in the past from this disease.
Viruses can be transmitted in many ways. Being in contact with an infected person will most likely transfer the virus. One can also obtain the virus through swallowing, inhaling, and unsafe sex. Poor hygiene and eating habits usually increase the risk of catching a viral infection. Contracting a viral infection is followed by adverse s...
Gastroenteritis can be caused by a number of different microorganisms and viruses. Viruses that are capable of causing such symptoms include the rotavirus, norovirus, and the adenovirus. But according to the CDC, “50% of all food borne outbreaks of gastroenteritis are caused by the norovirus (cite book).” The norovirus differs from other gastroenteritis viruses. This virus comes from the family Calicivirdae. The viral genome of the norovirus is made up of single stranded RNA. The capsid, which protects the virus genetic material, is formed in a spherical shape called icosahedral. Some viruses contain envelops made up of host derived bilipid layer. But the norovirus lacks this outer component which makes them part of viruses classified as unenveloped or naked viruses. The norovirus is a strong virus that is capable of enduring harsh environments and withstanding changes in ph and heat. According to ABC’s chief correspondent, Dr. Richard Besser, “The virus cannot be killed by alcohol sanitizer.” This can be very problematic when it comes to trying to contain the virus. The route of transmission is either direct o...
Many children suffer from dehydration and become symptomatic quickly. In an article by Spandorfer, Alessandrini, Joffe, Localio, and Shaw, it was found that approximately 10% of children admitted suffer from dehydration due to gastroenteritis (2005). Oral hydration cannot always be achieved especially if the child is vomiting as well as suffering from diarrhea, which leads parents to take their children to the hospital for care. Parents may need education and emotional support in the prevention of dehydration in children.
Clean water is needed for good human and animal health, but as DoSomething.org states, over 1 billion people worldwide don’t have a means of getting clean drinking water, an...
Malnourished children acquire bacterial gastrointestinal and respiratory infections more frequently. 42. Malnutrition significantly compromises mucosal epithelial barriers in the gastrointestinal, respiratory and urogenital tracts which are first line of defense against infections.
(2011). Reducing Morbidity and Mortality of Diarrheal Disease in Children Under 5: Intervention, Implementation, and Evaluation Plan. Retrieved from http://www.ictph.org.in/tps-2011/images/ictph-chapter-3.pdf