What to find out about gastroenteritis in Australian children

As a mum, I do know the fear of hearing a few gastro bug around daycare, school or the netball team. Diarrhea and vomiting can stun a healthy child for days and devastate a family for weeks.

As a pediatrician, with extensive research experience in gastroenterology, I also understand the impact on the community, our hospitals and our most vulnerable patients.

I last yearA bug named Australia has caused a rise in cases of gastroenteritis. which especially affects children.

Gastro shouldn't be the one cause, but its prevalence provides a timely reminder to take into consideration what we are able to do to administer and stop this nasty disease.

Symptoms and causes

Gastro is characterised by a rapid onset of diarrhea, or vomiting, or each, that continues. Less than 14 days. These symptoms will be accompanied by abdominal pain, nausea, lack of appetite and fever.

Hundreds of strains of various pathogens can infect the gastrointestinal tract to contaminate the gastrointestinal tract. Worldwide, there are viral pathogens (akin to rotavirus or norovirus). The most common reason, but bacterial pathogens (akin to or ) and parasites (akin to and ) also cause gastro. Traveller's diarrhea can involve pathogens which might be rarely seen in Australia, akin to typhoid and cholera.

Gastro is normally transmitted from Person to personincluding through contact with saliva, vomit or feces. It may also be obtained from food. Contaminated water or eating (food poisoning), swimming in contaminated water (in pools, dams, waterways or water parks), or contact With farm animals.

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A comparatively common reason behind gastro is known as cryptosporidiosis. It especially affects young children, however the elderly and other people with suppressed immune systems are also susceptible.

It is spread by spores called oocysts which might be excreted within the feces of humans and animals.

People are sometimes infected through ingestion Contaminated water or contact with contaminated water, including in swimming pools.

When the parasite exits the intestine, it may survive in pool or spa water, even whether it is chlorinated. for days. Outbreaks due to this fact often occur within the spring or summer months when children are probably to be swimming.

We saw this in Australia this summer, when crypto led to an outbreak of sporidiosis. Pool closure and general warnings New South Wales, Victoria And Queensland.

The infection can even spread from individual to individual.

reasons Symptoms Gastro-specific, especially watery diarrhea and abdominal pain. Fever and vomiting are less common. Symptoms normally start just a few days after infection but may come and go over just a few weeks.

Babies will be contagious for as much as two weeks. People with Weak immune function Can be carried and shed (and due to this fact infect others) for a very long time.

An upward trend

Data from National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System Confirms an increasing trend in cryptosporidiosis cases across Australia this yr. About 11,860 cases have been recorded to date in 2024, in comparison with 3,716 during 2023.

From February to MayThere were ten times more cases than the five-year average for that period. Cases are very high. In Queensland.

We have no idea the reason behind this cryptosporidiosis epidemic, nevertheless it May be related to Changing weather patterns and Extreme weather eventsperhaps reflecting climate change.

Prices could also be higher in Queensland as more children swim year-round in warmer climates.

What to do in case your child is sick?

The mainstay of home management of gastroenteritis, including cryptosporidiosis, is to stop and treat dehydration. This can best be achieved by offering frequent drinks of a industrial. Oral rehydration solution Formulated to advertise the absorption of water and electrolytes through the intestines and replace fluids lost through diarrhea and vomiting.

If your child's symptoms are severe or ongoing and you might be concerned, contact the doctor, because it is feasible that they could need hospital treatment.

Keep any child with diarrhea or vomiting away from other children or vulnerable adults and from home, daycare, preschool, or school for twenty-four hours after their symptoms have resolved. Parents, child care employees and teachers are also susceptible to infection and needs to be isolated if symptoms develop.

If your child has cryptosporidiosis, it shouldn't. Swimming in a public pool For at the very least two weeks after the diarrhea stops. Similarly, don't share towels, clothes or utensils with them during this era.

Simple steps can go a great distance.

In general, the mechanism for stopping gastroenteritis is identical, whatever the pathogen. Some worthwhile precautions include:

• Do not drink untreated water from tanks, bores or wells

• Do not eat or drink unpasteurized milk or dairy products.

• Wash all vegetables and fruit before eating them raw.

• Wash your hands with soap for at the very least 20 seconds, especially after changing a nappy, before using the lavatory, gardening, preparing food, or handling animals.

• Following Local advice And then avoid swimming at beaches and other waterways. Heavy rain or floodingbecause run-off and sewage overflows may end up in pollution.

• Make sure your child is vaccinated. Rotavirus.

Gastroenterology is a world problem.

Yet advance In diagnosis (higher identification of gut pathogens), prevention (esp Rotavirus vaccination), and treatment (particularly the usage of oral rehydration therapy), gastro stays a serious reason behind morbidity and mortality in young children, particularly in developing countries.

According to the World Health Organization, every year approx 1.7 billion cases Diarrheal disease in children worldwide.

It's value taking extra precautions when traveling, especially in low- and middle-income countries where food and water could also be less protected. Consult your doctor about appropriate vaccinations for specific locations, akin to for Cholera or Typhoid.