Memo on the prevention of acute intestinal infections (AI)

If your health has suddenly deteriorated sharply: you have a headache, your appetite has deteriorated, and your temperature has risen to 38-39°C (not necessary), there is something to think about. And if, after a few more hours, nausea and vomiting appeared, your stomach became very sore, diarrhea began and you were tormented by flatulence (bloating), then it is likely that you have caught an intestinal infection.

Almost all acute intestinal infections make themselves felt very quickly: 6-48 hours after the pathogenic microbe enters the body. So think about whether you have recently eaten or drunk anything suspicious. You may also have non-bacterial poisoning (for example, from mushrooms or drugs). But if you forgot to wash your hands before eating, thoughtfully bit your nails, or visited a sick friend with similar symptoms, this is a real infectious disease.

What are intestinal infections

Intestinal infections, or acute intestinal infectious diseases, are a fairly large and very common group of diseases caused by various pathogens, which can be bacteria, viruses or some protozoa. The pathogen enters the body through the mouth, provoking an inflammatory process.

Once in the human body, the infection develops most actively in the intestines, but at first the disease is asymptomatic (the incubation period can last from 6 to 48 hours). Signs of the disease can be caused either directly by the microorganism or by the toxins it produces.

Content:

• What are intestinal infections
• Causes and sources of intestinal infections
• Diagnosis and treatment
• First aid for intestinal infection

A typical symptom of an acute intestinal infection is diarrhea, that is, loose, watery stools and frequent visits to the toilet. When a person is healthy, the process of absorption of liquid from stool occurs in his intestines, which is why the stool at the exit has a uniform consistency. Against the background of an intestinal infection, this process is disrupted: the intestines stop absorbing water and the body quickly loses fluid. Therefore, the main danger of diarrhea is dehydration and loss of electrolytes important for the functioning of the body (along with water, reserves of potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium and other useful substances are lost). If dehydration is severe, a person may develop a serious complication such as kidney failure or dehydration shock due to an intestinal infection.

In addition to diarrhea, other unpleasant symptoms appear during acute intestinal infection. But depending on the type of disease, the symptoms may differ slightly. Symptoms of intestinal infection can also manifest themselves in the form of acute gastritis, accompanied by pain in the pit of the stomach and vomiting, gastroenteritis with diarrhea and vomiting, enteritis with diarrhea, colitis, during which blood appears in the stool, as well as enterocolitis, which affects almost the entire intestine.

Causes and sources of intestinal infections

It's easy to get an intestinal infection. Health problems can be caused by unwashed hands before eating, dirty fruits or vegetables, expired canned food, or improperly processed mushrooms. Today, experts talk about the existence of more than 30 different intestinal infections, but with any of them, infection occurs through the mouth (cause - food, water, unwashed hands). Among intestinal infections, there are both completely harmless ones, which can be easily cured on your own at home, and very serious ones, which, if not treated correctly, can lead to death. The latter usually include typhoid fever, cholera and botulism.

All intestinal infections are contagious, that is, they are easily transmitted from person to person. The pathogen enters the external environment along with the patient’s feces, urine and vomit. The pathogen can persist for several months in water, soil, on dishes and household items. Most microbes that cause intestinal diseases tolerate cold well, although they feel most comfortable in a warm, humid environment. It is for this reason that intestinal diseases are considered the main danger of the summer season.

The most dangerous, in terms of the risk of contracting an intestinal infection, are considered to be minced meat, dairy products, jelly, jellies, and water. In these products, microbes receive the most comfortable environment for reproduction. For example, unboiled milk or sour cream, yogurt or cottage cheese made from a contaminated product can cause dysentery. Low-quality yoghurts and kefir may contain E. coli, and expired cream cakes may contain staphylococcus. As for salmonellosis, which comes in almost 400 varieties, you can become infected by eating raw or half-raw eggs, undercooked chicken meat, unwashed vegetables, fruits, herbs, poor-quality water, as well as sausages and boiled sausage of dubious quality.

Intestinal infections of viral etiology

When a person is diagnosed with an intestinal infection, viruses may be the cause of the disease. Malfunctions in the digestive system are most likely caused by enteroviruses, rotaviruses, and adenoviruses. The main danger of viral intestinal diseases is their rapid spread. For infection, short-term contact with a sick person is enough, so the only effective prevention is to avoid contact and observe basic hygiene measures.

Rotavirus infection

Probably, many have heard about such a disease as “intestinal flu”. The disease received its name not by chance, since it manifests itself in two groups of symptoms: characteristic of ordinary flu and of severe poisoning. Those who encounter this disease for the first time, as a rule, are sure that they have a cold, which simply coincided with indigestion. But in fact, rotaviruses are the cause of this condition. And if you know some of the features of the course of this disease, it is easy to distinguish it from ordinary flu and poisoning.

A patient with rotavirus infection suddenly develops fever, chills, weakness, body aches, pain in muscles and joints - typical signs of a cold. But simultaneously with these symptoms, very severe diarrhea and vomiting begin, which can be repeated more than ten times per day. A characteristic feature of rotavirus intestinal infection is foamy stool with a sweetish odor.

The main danger of rotavirus infection is severe diarrhea and frequent vomiting, which quickly cause dehydration. Because of it, the patient, in addition to the main symptoms, develops dry mouth, thirst and dizziness. Therefore, emergency therapy for this disease comes down to replenishing fluid and electrolytes in the body. Plain water for such purposes is not the best option, since it does not contain electrolytes that a dehydrated body needs. In case of severe dehydration, the drug Regidron or a composition prepared at home from 2 liters of water and sugar, salt and soda, taken 1 tablespoon each, is considered more useful.

To combat rotavirus infection, it is also important to take enterosorbents, which help stop vomiting and diarrhea. To relieve fever, take antipyretics, such as paracetamol. In addition, it is important for people with “stomach flu” to follow a special diet. You should give up fruits, vegetables, juices and dairy products at least for a few days, as they cause fermentation in the intestines, which does not help alleviate the condition.

This disease is the most common of the group of intestinal infections of a viral nature. The reason is that rotaviruses easily enter the body through unwashed hands, dirty fruits and vegetables, and poorly washed cutlery and dishes. Airborne infection is possible.

If the disease manifests itself in a mild form, and the treatment is correct and started on time, then the symptoms usually go away after 2-3 days. The disease is more severe in young children, as well as in adults who were unable to quickly restore fluid reserves in the body. In such cases, dehydration is combated in a hospital setting with intravenous infusions of saline solutions.

Enterovirus infection

This is another large group of intestinal infectious diseases, which, although they occur less frequently than those caused by rotaviruses, are usually more severe. The routes of infection with enteroviruses are similar to rotavirus infection, that is, through unwashed hands, vegetables, fruits and dirty dishes, water.

The first signs of this type of intestinal infection are vomiting and diarrhea, which are not as severe as in the case of rotaviruses. The danger of the disease lies elsewhere - it can cause complications, affecting other organs and systems. Against the background of an enteroviral disease, a rash may appear in different parts of the body. Some patients have an enlarged spleen and liver, a sore throat or signs of inflammation in the respiratory system. In the most severe cases, enteroviral infection can occur with symptoms of encephalitis or enteroviral meningitis. Intestinal infections caused by enteroviruses are most severely suffered by young children. In adults, the disease, which occurs without complications, usually lasts no more than 5-7 days. The principles of treatment of enterovirus infections are similar to the methods used for infection with rotaviruses.

Adenovirus infection

Diseases of this group, out of ignorance, can be mistaken for anything but an intestinal infection. Classic signs of gastrointestinal diseases, such as diarrhea or vomiting, are rarely significant, so the risk of dehydration with adenoviral infections is minimal. The disease manifests itself differently: the patient’s upper respiratory tract and eyes are usually affected. Another characteristic feature of the disease is that it occurs in two phases: after temporary relief, the second wave of the disease begins.

Intestinal infections of bacterial nature

Although diseases of this group occur less frequently and do not spread as quickly as viral ones, they pose a more serious danger to human health, and often life. The causative agents of these diseases, as you can easily guess from the name, are specific bacteria.

Infectious diseases of a bacterial nature are:

• dysentery;
• salmonellosis;
• Escherichiosis (coli infection);
• typhoid fever;
• cholera;
• shigellosis and others.

Each of these diseases has many features, but, as a rule, the routes of infection are identical in all cases. You can become infected by consuming foods that have not undergone the necessary heat treatment. This primarily applies to meat, eggs, dairy products, as well as water from suspicious sources, unwashed vegetables and fruits. The highest risk of contracting any of the listed infections remains in countries with poor sanitary conditions, as well as in catering establishments with a dubious reputation. In rare cases, a bacterial intestinal infection can be contracted through household contact with an infected person.

Intestinal infections of a bacterial nature are manifested by fever and diarrhea. How pronounced a particular symptom will be depends on the pathogen that caused the disease. But in any case, at the first suspicion of a bacterial intestinal infection, you must consult a doctor and get tested. We must understand that health problems of a bacterial nature require specific treatment, and this is impossible without making a correct diagnosis.

The basis of treatment for intestinal infections caused by bacteria is antibiotics. Only a doctor can determine the type of antibiotic and course of treatment. The treatment of bacterial infections is always approached in a comprehensive manner. Proper therapy consists of several tasks:

• eliminate fever;
• stop diarrhea;
• restore fluid and electrolyte reserves in the body;
• normalize the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract.

Intestinal infections caused by protozoa

This group includes intestinal infections caused by pathogenic single-celled organisms that have settled in the human digestive system. These diseases include giardiasis, amoebiasis, cryptosporidiosis, isosporiasis, cyclosporiasis, microsporidiosis, balantidiasis, sarcosporidiosis and some others. The most famous are the first two - caused by Giardia and Amoeba. Both types of these protozoa are found in the environment in an inactive form - encapsulated (cysts). In this form they can remain viable for up to several months. But it is enough for water or food contaminated with such cysts to penetrate the human body, and the protozoa transform into the so-called luminal form, that is, they become active and become capable of causing serious diseases. Take, for example, Giardia and the giardiasis they cause. This is a very common infection. Against the background of infection with this protozoan, a person develops diarrhea and digestive disorders, abdominal pain, and fever. This disease, although very unpleasant, is quite easy to treat. The same cannot be said about amoebiasis. An infection caused by an amoeba causes symptoms similar to giardiasis, but they are quite difficult to eliminate, and in some cases the disease can even be fatal. Therefore, if you suspect that an intestinal infection is caused by protozoa, you should absolutely not self-medicate.

Sources

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• Mirzapour A., ​​Kiani H., Mobedi I., Spotin A., Seyyed Tabaei SJ., Rahimi M. Frequency of Intestinal Parasites among Zoo Animals by Morphometric Criteria and First Report of the Bivitellobilharzia nairi from Elephant (Elephasmaximus maximus) in Iran. // Iran J Parasitol - 2022 - Vol13 - N4 - p.611-617; PMID:30697315
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• Soria MA., Bonnet MA., Bueno DJ. Relationship of Salmonella infection and inflammatory intestinal response with hematological and serum biochemical values ​​in laying hens. // Vet Immunol Immunopathol - 2015 - Vol165 - N3-4 - p.145-53; PMID:25912484
• Biswal DK., Ghatani S., Shylla JA., Sahu R., Mullapudi N., Bhattacharya A., Tandon V. An integrated pipeline for next generation sequencing and annotation of the complete mitochondrial genome of the giant intestinal fluke, Fasciolopsis buski ( Lankester, 1857) Looss, 1899. // PeerJ - 2013 - Vol1 - NNULL - p.e207; PMID:24255820
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Diagnosis and treatment

As a rule, symptoms of intestinal infections appear unexpectedly. At the first stage of the disease, a person experiences a headache, decreased appetite, increased body temperature, looks lethargic, and feels weak. At this stage, an intestinal infection can be mistaken for ARVI. But soon patients experience nausea and vomiting, cramping abdominal pain, flatulence, and mucus, pus or blood may appear in liquid feces (with dysentery). In some cases, an intestinal infection may be asymptomatic, but the infected person is still a source of infection.

If there are any signs of disruption of the digestive system, it is very important to identify the disease in a timely manner. Some symptoms of intestinal infection may resemble poisoning, including from medications, acute appendicitis, pneumonia, ectopic pregnancy or myocardial infarction.

To accurately determine the diagnosis, you need to consult an infectious disease specialist. To make a diagnosis, the patient will have to submit stool or vomit for bacteriological examination. Treatment of any intestinal infection is complex therapy. It consists of removing the pathogen and microbial poisons from the body, restoring the water balance and microflora of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as following a special diet. During the recovery period after any intestinal infection, it is advisable to avoid foods that cause fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract and flatulence, such as black bread, milk, legumes, cabbage, and beets. During this period, it is better to include liquid rice porridge with water, baked apples, and fermented milk products in the menu.

As for the rules for preventing intestinal infections, they are quite simple. To protect yourself from diseases of this group, you must:

• stop drinking unboiled milk;
• Always boil water from questionable sources before drinking;
• Before cooking, wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly under running water, or preferably with soap;
• Wash your hands before every meal;
• adhere to the rules and shelf life of food products.

To protect a child from intestinal infections, it is necessary to teach him not to bite his nails and not to put dirty hands and toys in his mouth.

UZ "Mogilev City Emergency Hospital"

Intestinal infections include dysentery, salmonellosis, typhoid fever, paratyphoid A and B, cholera, gastroenteritis, foodborne illnesses, viral hepatitis A, viral intestinal infections (adenovirus, rotavirus, norovirus, astrovirus, etc.). The main manifestations of intestinal infections that you should pay attention to are weakness, lethargy, poor appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever and chills. In acute intestinal infections of viral etiology, along with intestinal lesions, changes in the upper respiratory tract are noted: palate, arches, uvula - with rotavirus infection; tracheobronchitis - with adenoviral infection.

All these diseases are characterized by the penetration of pathogens through the mouth and their reproduction in the human intestines, from where they, with secretions, again enter the external environment: soil, water, various objects and food products.

The causative agents of intestinal infections are highly resistant in the external environment, retaining their pathogenic properties for from several days to several weeks and even months. Pathogenic E. coli, pathogens of typhoid fever, viral hepatitis, and viruses are even more stable in the external environment. Several main factors may be involved in the transmission of pathogens: water, food, soil, household items, living vectors (for example, insects), etc. In food products, pathogens of intestinal infections not only persist, but also actively multiply without changing the appearance and taste of the product. But when exposed to high temperatures, for example by boiling, the pathogens of intestinal infections die.

People's susceptibility to intestinal infections is quite high. Children are especially susceptible to them. In conditions of non-compliance with public and personal hygiene measures, intestinal infections are highly contagious, can quickly spread among people around the patient and cause mass illnesses in people.

The danger of contracting intestinal infections is represented by products (dishes made from them) consumed cold, without heat treatment, because microbes in it are not only well preserved, but also multiply.

In this regard, creamy confectionery products, salads, vinaigrettes, milk, butter, and other food products (especially those that are not subject to heat treatment) pose a great danger.

One of the factors in the infection and spread of intestinal infections is water. The danger of contracting intestinal infections is the use of water from open reservoirs and melt water for drinking, washing dishes, hands, vegetables and fruits. Infection can occur when swimming in open water. Drinking water from a well can lead to intestinal infections. Cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, salmonellosis, viral hepatitis A, etc. can spread through water.

Household items can also contain pathogens of various diseases, especially if there is a patient (or carrier) of any disease in the family. These are dishes through which intestinal infections can be transmitted, toys for children, towels.

Prevention of intestinal infections includes simple hygiene rules:

1. mandatory thorough hand washing with soap before preparing, eating and after using the toilet;
2. Drinking water should be boiled, bottled or from a drinking fountain with a tap water purification system;
3. vegetables and fruits, including citrus fruits and bananas, should be consumed only after washing them with clean water and scalding with boiling water;
4. consume bottled milk after boiling;
5. cottage cheese, made from raw milk or loose, is best consumed only in the form of heat-treated dishes;
6. all food products should be stored in clean, sealable containers;
7. Store perishable foods in refrigerators within the permissible shelf life;
8. It is mandatory to maintain cleanliness in the home, frequent ventilation, and daily wet cleaning;
9. swimming in open reservoirs in the summer is possible only in specially designated areas;
10. At train stations, airports, and places of public recreation, use only disposable cups when drinking bottled or carbonated water.

Failure to promptly seek medical help can adversely affect your health and lead to infection of others. We all have a responsibility to take care of our health. If you find yourself with one or another infectious disease, you should immediately consult a doctor.