Bacterial Gastroenteritis

happens when bacteria causes an infection in your gut

Causes & Mode of Transmission

Numerous bacteria can cause gastroenteritis, including:

yersinia, found in pork
staphylococcus, found in dairy products, meat, and eggs
shigella, found in water (often swimming pools)
salmonella, found in meat, dairy products, and eggs
campylobacter, found in meat and poultry
E. coli, found in ground beef and salads

Bacterial gastroenteritis outbreaks can happen when restaurants serve contaminated food to many people. An outbreak can also trigger recalls of produce and other foods.

Bacterial gastroenteritis can be easily transmitted from person to person if someone carries the bacteria on their hands. Every time a person infected with this bacteria touches food, objects, or other people, they risk spreading the infection to others. You can even cause the infection to get into your own body if you touch your eyes, mouth, or other open parts of your body with infected hands.

You’re especially at risk for these infections if you travel a lot or live in a crowded area. Washing your hands often and using hand sanitizer with more than 60 percent alcohol can help you avoid catching infections from the people around you.

Prevention

If you already have gastroenteritis, take safety precautions to avoid spreading the bacteria to others.

Wash your hands after using the toilet and before handling food. Don’t prepare food for other people until your symptoms improve. Avoid close contact with others during your illness. After your symptoms stop, try to wait at least 48 hours before returning to work.

You can also help prevent bacterial gastroenteritis infections by avoiding unpasteurized milk, raw meat, or raw shellfish. Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw and cooked meats when preparing meals. Wash salads and vegetables thoroughly. Make sure to store food at either very hot or very cold temperatures if you’re storing them for more than a couple of hours.

Other preventative measures include:

keeping your kitchen consistently clean
washing your hands after using the toilet, before handling different foods, after touching animals, and before eating
drinking bottled water while traveling abroad and getting recommended vaccines

Symptoms

Bacterial gastroenteritis symptoms vary depending on the bacteria causing your infection. The symptoms may include:

Call your doctor if your symptoms don’t improve after five days (two days for children). If a child older than three months continues to vomit after 12 hours, call a doctor. If a baby younger than three months has diarrhea or vomiting, call your doctor.

Treatment

Treatment is meant to keep you hydrated and avoid complications. It’s important not to lose too much salt, such as sodium and potassium. Your body needs these in certain amounts in order to function properly.

If you have a serious case of bacterial gastroenteritis, you may be admitted to the hospital and given fluids and salts intravenously. Antibiotics are usually reserved for the most severe cases.

Home remedies for mild cases

If you have a milder case, you may be able to treat your illness at home. Try the following:

Drink fluids regularly throughout the day, especially after bouts of diarrhea.
Eat little and often, and include some salty foods.
Consume foods or drinks with potassium, such as fruit juice and bananas.
Don’t take any medications without asking your doctor.
Go to the hospital if you can’t keep any fluids down.

A few ingredients you may have at home can help keep your electrolytes balanced and treat diarrhea. Ginger can help combat infection and make stomach or abdominal pain less severe. Apple cider vinegar and basil can also soothe your stomach as well as strengthen your stomach against future infections.

Avoid eating dairy, fruit, or high-fiber foods to keep diarrhea from getting worse.

Over-the-counter medicines that neutralize your stomach acid can help fight these infections. Medicines that treat symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pains can help ease the stress and pain of the infection. Don’t take over-the-counter treatments unless your doctor tells you to do so.