Gastrointestinal Infections

Abstract

Gastroenteritis with vomiting and/or diarrhoea frequently occurs in healthcare institutions, caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites, either brought into hospitals or spread within hospitals. Symptoms may include vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, or frequent bowel movements, and often fever. Late autumn, winter and early spring may be periods of epidemics of norovirus, and other viruses occur both inside and outside health institutions, while Clostridium difficile (CD) diarrhoea is associated with antibiotic treatment. Listeria may be a serious risk in special vulnerable patient groups, associated to unpasteurized food or beverages. Travelling to other countries with lower state of hygiene or consuming contaminated food and drinks may cause outbreaks of entero-pathogenic bacteria like Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia, entero-pathogenic Escherichia coli, Campylobacter and others. Outbreaks of cholera have been associated with catastrophes like earthquake, tsunami, war, starvation and breakdown of sanitary functions. However, in hospitals in developed countries, gastrointestinal outbreaks are most often caused by CD or norovirus. The following chapter is focused on practical measures to detect and prevent transmission of infections associated with gastroenteritis, vomiting and diarrhoea in healthcare institutions.