Stomach Virus and Food Poisoning
- It is a common misconception that bacteria cause food poisoning and viruses cause "stomach" flu. People tend to call it food poisoning if it is from tainted food, but it can be food tainted with a virus or tainted with a bacterium. People tend to call it "stomach" flu if they picked it up from a contaminated surface or from another person, again, the contamination can be from a bacterium or a virus.
- The bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal infection include bacteria you have heard of such as Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella typhimurium, disease-causing strains of Escherichia coli, Clostridium botulinum and Staphylococcus aureus and bacteria you may not have heard of such as Clostridium perfringes, Listeria monocytogenes, Shigella dysenteriae, Shigella sonnei, Shigella boydii, Campylobacter jejuni and Vibrio vulnificus.
- The symptoms common to most bacterial gastrointestinal infections include diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting; but there can be differences such as watery diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, mucus in the feces, changes in blood pressure and pulse, muscle aches, headache and fatigue. An exception is infection from Clostridium botulinum, which causes double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth and muscle weakness and can be fatal.
- The viruses that can cause gastrointestinal infection include Norovirus, Turkey astrovirus and Human enteric coronavirus.
- The symptoms common to most viral gastrointestinal infections include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, mild fever, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the intestines and stomach, watery diarrhea and dehydration.
- Treatment of bacterial and viral gastrointestinal infections is usually supportive and includes fluids and electrolytes to prevent dehydration and over-the-counter medication to ease nausea and diarrhea; however, bacterial gastrointestinal infections can be treated with antibiotics if needed.
It is possible to have lasting effects from a gastrointestinal infection after you have recovered. The lining of the gastrointestinal tract can be temporarily or permanently damaged and cause lactose intolerance. - Hand washing, good food handling hygiene and cooking food properly can all reduce gastrointestinal infections. Do not leave food sitting out, especially on warm summer days and do not eat food that smells or looks "off."