What to do if the intestinal flu. Medicines that improve well-being. Stomach flu: easy to get, hard to kill, impossible to forget

Intestinal influenza is a group of viral infectious diseases that occur with symptoms of acute gastroenteritis. They were so named because of the similarity of a number of clinical signs with:

Autumn-winter seasonality;
High infectiousness;
The presence of catarrhal changes in the oropharynx;
One of the ways of transmission is airborne;
The average duration of illness does not exceed 7 days.

Children under 3 years of age are most susceptible to infection. in this age group, more than half of the cases of gastroenteritis are caused by intestinal influenza pathogens. Breastfed babies under one year of age rarely get sick due to the protective antibodies they receive from their mothers. Among artificially fed children, cases of intestinal influenza are recorded starting from the age of 3 months. With age, the incidence decreases slightly, which is associated with the acquisition of immunity after the first episode of the disease.

By the age of 15-17, 90% of young people have antibodies to intestinal influenza viruses in their blood, indicating a previous infection.

Adults are less likely to get the flu: their share among acute intestinal infections is about 25%.

The greatest danger of viral gastroenteritis is for patients with immunodeficiency states:

HIV-infected;
Taking cytostatics, glucocorticoids;
cancer patients;
pregnant women;
People with transplanted organs;
Patients with chronic somatic diseases, especially of the digestive system.

In addition, intestinal influenza viruses are involved in the development of "travelers' diarrhea". A sharp change in the climatic zone and the transition to unusual foods lead to a decrease in immune defense factors, which gives the pathogen the opportunity to multiply freely in the intestines. In elderly people, the incidence increases slightly due to gradually increasing immunodeficiency, which naturally develops towards old age.

Pathogen

Intestinal flu is caused by viruses that can multiply in the epithelial cells of the small intestine. The cause of infectious gastroenteritis is:

Norwalk viruses from the calicivirus family;
Astroviruses;
Toroviruses.

The source of infection is a sick person who releases pathogens into the environment with feces and, in some cases, with droplets of saliva. They are transmitted to other people by the fecal-oral route, that is, with contaminated food, through dirty hands and contaminated household items. In preschool institutions, the contact-household route plays an important role: children become infected through toys, doorknobs, pots contaminated with the pathogen.

A large role is played by the water route of transmission, for example, rotavirus persists in cold water for months. Outbreaks of rotavirus gastroenteritis associated with the consumption of contaminated bottled water have been described.

Below we consider the most common pathogens, symptoms and treatment of intestinal flu.

Rotavirus

The virus was discovered in the 70s of the 20th century in the epithelial cells of the duodenum of children who died from acute gastroenteritis. Virions have the shape of a wheel, inside of which there is an RNA molecule - the hereditary information of the pathogen. Outside, it is covered with a double protein shell, to which adhesion receptors are attached. They selectively bind to the cells of the intestinal epithelium and upper respiratory tract, fixing the virion on the surface of the mucous membrane. Receptors determine the tropism of the rotovirus to the small intestine and oropharynx. Recent studies show that the virus enters the bloodstream at the height of the disease and spreads to all human organs. In particular, rotavirus infection affects the liver cells, which is the reason for the persistent increase in liver enzymes after the illness.

Rotavirus is very stable in the external environment, especially in the cold season. It lasts up to one month on vegetables and fruits, up to 2 weeks on bed linen, clothes, carpets. The virus is not destroyed under the action of disinfectant solutions, ultrasound, low temperatures, but quickly dies when boiled. Its damaging ability increases when treated with enzymes of the stomach and duodenum.

norwalk virus

A little-studied virus that caused an outbreak of "vomiting disease" (otherwise - "stomach flu") in the US city of Norwalk. Virions are small, consisting of a single strand of RNA surrounded by a protein capsule. The causative agent is stable in the external environment, does not die when exposed to disinfectant solutions, and is sensitive to heat. The infection is transmitted by water and food routes through contaminated seafood.

Adenoviruses

Adenoviruses are large DNA-containing viruses that are extremely stable in the external environment. Most of them cause upper respiratory tract infection in combination with conjunctivitis, but there are 2 types (serovars 40 and 41) that selectively affect the intestinal epithelium. Adenoviruses are dangerous for children under the age of 2 years, most adults acquire strong immunity to them.

The infection is transmitted by the fecal-oral route, through contaminated water, food, and household items. Adenoviruses are not affected by most disinfectants, they successfully withstand freezing and remain in water for up to 2 years. Virions die when heated above 60 degrees C and when exposed to ultraviolet radiation.

The mechanism of the development of the disease

The virus enters the human mouth with contaminated food, water, dirty hands or saliva droplets. with an aerogenic route of transmission and is swallowed by them. Virions are resistant to acids, therefore they easily overcome the acidic environment of the stomach and enter the duodenum. The main function of the duodenum and the small intestine as a whole is the enzymatic breakdown of nutrients into the smallest components and their further absorption into the blood.

Diagram of the gastrointestinal tract

The area of this section of the gastrointestinal tract is colossal: the small intestine has a length of about 5 meters and is dotted with villi - outgrowths of the mucous membrane on its entire surface. Blood vessels enter each villus from the side of the intestinal wall - nutrients are absorbed into them. From the side of the intestinal cavity, the villi are covered with special epithelial cells - enterocytes. Enterocytes have an elongated shape and, on the pole facing the intestinal lumen, they, in turn, have outgrowths of the cell membrane in the form of microvilli. Thus, the absorptive area of the intestine is additionally increased by 30 times.

Intestinal influenza viruses penetrate enterocytes, shed their protein coat and send their hereditary information (DNA or RNA) to the cell nucleus. The synthesis of viral proteins starts and this process completely suppresses all other cellular processes. As a result, a huge number of virion components accumulate in the enterocyte, they are further assembled and released into the external environment. Viral particles rupture the cell membrane, which leads to the final death of the cell.

There is a massive infection of neighboring cells, they die and are exfoliated from the main plasticity of the villi. As a result, the processes of cellular digestion, the breakdown of oligosaccharides into monosaccharides and their absorption are disrupted. Carbohydrates accumulate in the intestinal lumen, increasing the osmotic pressure of chyme - a slurry of partially digested food. An increased concentration of oligosaccharides leads to a compensatory flow of water into the intestinal cavity in order to dilute the chyme and normalize its osmotic pressure. A large volume of liquid contents in the lumen of the intestine irritates the nerve endings in its wall and a reflex increase in peristalsis occurs.

As a result, diluted chyme quickly passes through the entire intestinal tube, excess fluid does not have time to be absorbed and diarrhea develops - profuse loose stools. Overflow of the duodenum, in turn, disrupts the normal progression of the food bolus from the stomach. Anti-peristaltic waves occur in the stomach and food finds its way out through the esophagus in the form of vomiting.

In response to cell death and virus multiplication, immune cells begin to produce protective antibodies. They bind viral particles, gradually clearing them from the infectious focus. Some of the virions come out along with the feces to continue the cycle of their development.

Clinical picture

The incubation period for intestinal flu depends on the pathogen. With rotavirus infection, from the moment of infection to the first signs, it takes from 1 to 7 days, adenovirus infection develops longer - 8-10 days. The patient begins to release the pathogen into the environment already at the end of the incubation stage, before the appearance of a typical clinical picture.

The disease begins acutely with an increase in body temperature to 38-39 degrees C, vomiting of food eaten and loose stools. Sometimes its onset occurs gradually: first, signs of intoxication develop - weakness, headache, lack of appetite, increased fatigue, fever. The next day they are joined by loose stools, nausea and vomiting. The listed symptoms of intestinal flu are typical for the typical course of the disease. Also, the infection can occur with blurred clinical signs: abdominal pain, rumbling, loss of appetite, unexpressed weakness. In some cases, carriage develops, in which an apparently healthy person excretes the virus with feces.

Diarrhea with intestinal flu occurs in 90% of cases. The feces are plentiful, liquid or mushy, yellow in color, with an unpleasant odor, and may be frothy. The frequency of diarrhea varies from a few times a day to countless times. In the latter case, the stool loses its fecal character, its portions decrease, it acquires a greenish color. The body loses large amounts of water and electrolytes in the feces, which leads to dehydration in a short time. This process is especially dangerous in children, since the volume of fluid in their body is less than in adults.

Vomiting occurs simultaneously with diarrhea, but may join later. At first, the vomit contains previously eaten food, then only gastric juice is released. The patient cannot drink enough - the liquid irritates the intestinal walls and re-vomiting occurs. As a result, the body only loses water without the ability to replenish its supply in the body.

The initial sign of dehydration is dry mucous membranes and severe thirst. The tongue becomes dry and rough, salivation decreases, the conjunctiva of the eyes grows dim. Dryness of the skin, a decrease in its turgor, severe weakness, unexpressed cramps in the calf muscles are signs of a loss of 4-6% of body fluid. Further progression of the process leads to hoarseness, a drop in blood pressure, a decrease in the volume of urine excreted, and loss of consciousness. The extreme degree of dehydration is confusion, sharpening of facial features, bluish skin tone, lowering body temperature to 35 degrees C. It corresponds to the stage of hypovolemic shock and quickly leads to the death of the patient. In children, the described changes can develop within a day with severe diarrhea and frequent vomiting.

With rotavirus infection, catarrhal syndrome joins the symptoms of damage to the gastrointestinal tract. It is manifested by hyperemia of the pharynx, graininess of the posterior pharyngeal wall and pain when swallowing. There is nasal congestion with scanty mucous discharge, in young children acute otitis media sometimes develops.

Fever with intestinal flu rarely persists for more than 2-4 days, its presence after this period may indicate the addition of bacterial microflora. Adenovirus infection is characterized by a more severe and persistent course than rotavirus. Norwalk infection, as a rule, occurs without diarrhea: with fever, intoxication and vomiting. With a rotavirus infection, vomiting may not occur, in which case they speak of its intestinal form.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis is established by a pediatrician or an infectious disease specialist. He collects an anamnesis of the disease, finds out if anyone from the immediate environment has similar symptoms. In favor of intestinal flu speaks outbreaks in groups, families, especially during the cold season. The doctor takes into account the time of onset of symptoms, their severity, pays attention to signs of dehydration. On examination, he reveals diffuse tenderness on palpation of the abdomen, rumbling in the intestines, an increase in heart rate and a decrease in blood pressure.

The final diagnosis is established by the results of laboratory tests. In feces, vomit, using PCR, DNA / RNA of the virus or antibodies to it are detected by ELISA. In the patient's blood, specific antibodies appear on the 5-10th day of illness, their presence and titer are determined by ELISA, RNGA. An acute infection is characterized by a sharp increase in Ig M during the first two weeks of the infectious process, after which their titer decreases and they are replaced by IgG. The latter circulate in the blood for several years after suffering an intestinal flu.

To determine the severity of the patient's condition and additional justification of the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes:

Treatment

Patients with intestinal flu are hospitalized in a hospital with a moderate and severe course of the disease, as well as according to epidemic indications.

These include all cases in which the patient cannot be isolated from others: living in the barracks, boarding school, orphanage. Employees of food enterprises, water utilities, teachers of preschool institutions and medical staff of children's departments are hospitalized, as they pose an increased risk for the spread of infection.

Treatment of intestinal flu includes a sparing diet, restoration of water and electrolyte balance, stimulation of interferonogenesis and detoxification. Specific antiviral therapy has not been developed to date. The diet for intestinal flu is aimed at normalizing digestion.

It is necessary to exclude from the diet foods that irritate the gastrointestinal tract:

Raw vegetables and fruits;
natural juices;
Grain bread;
Whole milk, butter, cheeses;
Cereals;
Smoked products;
legumes;
canned foods;
Chocolate and coffee;
Fat meat;
seasonings;
Alcohol.

You can eat porridge-slurry (semolina, oatmeal, rice), cooked in water or diluted milk without adding butter. It is necessary to include soups in a weak broth from dietary meat in the diet: skinless chicken, turkey, rabbit, lean beef. It is allowed to eat white bread, including in the form of crackers, lean meat cutlets, steamed. Food should be taken in small portions, often warm.

Of the medications prescribed:

Electrolyte solutions (saline solution, trisol, tetrasol, lactasol) intravenously-drip and orally (regidron) - restore the water-electrolyte balance;
Enterosorbents - bind toxins and excess fluid in the intestinal lumen (smecta, enterosgel);
Pancreatic enzymes - improve the breakdown of nutrients in the small intestine (pancreatin);
Inducers of interferonogenesis - enhance the production of protective antibodies (cycloferon);
Preparations of bifido- and lactobacilli - restore the normal intestinal microflora (acipol, bifiform).

Treatment of intestinal flu during pregnancy is carried out with drugs that are safe for the fetus. Basically, women are prescribed strict adherence to a diet, electrolyte solutions and means to restore intestinal biocenosis. It is irrational to treat intestinal flu with antibiotics, since they do not act on the cause of the disease - viruses.

Patients are discharged after the disappearance of the symptoms of intestinal flu, an average of 5-7 days from the onset of the disease. After recovery for 2-3 weeks, they need to follow a therapeutic diet, gradually switching to their usual diet.

To date, specific prophylaxis has been developed only for rotavirus infection. The vaccine is commercially available, but is not included in the national vaccination schedule. Non-specific prevention consists in careful observance of the rules of personal hygiene and the use of only boiled water.

The main complications of intestinal flu are dehydration and dehydration shock. In adults, the infection rarely proceeds so severely, but in children and the elderly, such conditions develop in a short time. Lack of medical care in such cases quickly leads to death from a large loss of water.

Video: intestinal flu, rotavirus - Dr. Komarovsky

A very dangerous disease is intestinal flu in adults: symptoms and treatment may vary for each person. Let's understand together what this unpleasant disease is. This disease is commonly called stomach or intestinal flu for a reason. The official name is rotavirus infection or gastroenteritis. As a rule, causative agents are caliciviruses, astroviruses, as well as adenoviruses, noroviruses. All of them lead to a serious inflammatory process in the gastrointestinal tract.

Most often, children get sick, as well as older people, since their immunity is much weaker than that of healthy adults. In young children, this disease can occur in a complicated form and is much more difficult to treat. Symptoms can be very pronounced. But adults suffer from these viruses not so seriously. A lot of adults carry this disease on their feet without even noticing the signs, so they can become carriers of the infection. Intestinal flu, as a rule, is in the acute stage for approximately one week. And after another week, the person recovers completely, however, throughout the disease, the patient remains contagious to other people.

How does infection occur?

Viruses can enter the human body directly through the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines. It is for this reason that the disease is called the intestinal flu. The incubation period can last from one day to five days, but this is on average. If the concentration of the virus that has entered the body is high, then the disease can proceed in a very complex form, because it is difficult for the body to cope with so many pathogens. The most common form of food contamination. The virus can be found on vegetables and fruits. That's why it's so important to wash your food thoroughly beforehand. There is a chance of getting infected through low-quality dairy products.

This is the real disease of dirty hands. There have been cases when people became infected through running water from the tap. The second way of infection is considered to be airborne. If the patient speaks loudly, often sneezes, then the viruses from his body can enter the air. And there is a risk that people sitting nearby can also get sick. Experts do not exclude the household option of infection. Especially often this happens directly in kindergartens, offices, shops, schools.

It is worth noting that the intestinal flu virus is very viable. It is not even enough to clean the room with cleaning products so that other people do not become infected. It cannot be destroyed even by freezing. Various disinfectants, as well as chlorine-containing agents, can only cope with it. Therefore, when there is a patient in the apartment, it is better to wash everything after him with special means and thoroughly ventilate the room.

When rotavirus penetrates directly into the human body, after twenty to thirty minutes it is able to reach the small intestine. The virus begins to attack the intestines, and the mucosa becomes inflamed. Because of this, enzymes are produced in insufficient quantities. Carbohydrates begin to accumulate in the small intestine, which are difficult for the sick body to digest. For this reason, a large amount of fluid enters the intestine. The person may suffer from severe diarrhea.

Symptoms

If a small child has become infected, then an urgent need to call a specialist at home. It is he who will determine whether it is necessary to monitor the child's condition in the hospital or whether treatment at home is possible. If vomiting occurs no more than five times a day, then treatment at home is possible. As a rule, experts quickly understand that this is the intestinal flu, as it has very acute and violent symptoms. At first, a person may have a runny nose and a slight cough. And only then appears dyspepsia, that is, an upset gastrointestinal tract.

Common signs:

sore throat, its redness;
runny nose;
diarrhea, while the stools can be yellow-gray and more like clay, there is also a pungent odor, but there should be no blood and mucus;
rumbling in pain in the abdomen;
vomiting, nausea;
increased body temperature;
fatigue.

This symptomatology can be observed with salmonellosis, as well as cholera, food poisoning. To make an accurate diagnosis, you need to consult a specialist.

No specific treatment for rotavirus infection has yet been developed. Basically, it should be aimed at reducing the level of intoxication, as well as restoring water balance, since dehydration is likely due to vomiting and diarrhea. Rotavirus infection is mainly treated symptomatically.

At the very beginning of treatment, it is necessary to carry out rehydration therapy. For this purpose, one sachet of Regidron can be dissolved in a liter of purified water. You need to drink it throughout the day. This remedy should be drunk with severe vomiting and diarrhea. If vomiting and diarrhea are severe and do not go away, hospitalization may be required.
It is important to adhere to a strict diet and completely abandon dairy products for the duration of treatment. Since it is they who can contribute to the fact that harmful bacteria in the intestines begin to actively multiply.
Various sorbents are also shown: Polysorb, as well as Smecta, Enterosgel, activated carbon.
If severe diarrhea appears, which is accompanied by fever, then doctors usually prescribe Enterofuril, Furazolidone, Enterol. These drugs should not be given to yourself or your child on their own.
Various enzyme preparations also help with this disease: Mezim forte, Creon, Pancreatin.
After the disease, it will be necessary to restore the normal microflora in the intestine. The following drugs are used: Hilak forte, Bifidumbacterin, Lineks.

Some facts that are useful to know

Can a flu shot help?

Some people confuse the flu and the common flu, but these diseases are actually caused by different types of viruses. Of course, with intestinal flu, body aches, fever, and cough appear. All of these symptoms are similar to the common flu. However, a regular flu vaccine will not help with this form of the disease. This must be understood.

The stomach flu is highly contagious.

When the warm season comes, gastroenteritis begins to spread. Therefore, you should follow the rules of hygiene. The intestinal flu is mainly spread by the fecal-oral route. If a person cooks something, then others can become infected. To protect yourself from this disease, you should simply wash your hands more often and do this before every meal.

The intestinal flu virus is very viable

Rotavirus infection can remain on different surfaces for several hours. And cleaning doesn't help either. And it is not enough just to wipe your hands with a damp cloth or spray. Hands should be washed only with running water and solid or liquid soap. This is the only way to protect yourself and your children.

Symptoms do not appear immediately

Once the infection enters the body, it may not cause any discomfort for one to two days. Abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea do not appear immediately. The virus takes time to multiply in the stomach and intestines. But, for example, salmonellosis manifests itself almost immediately.

During vomiting and diarrhea, the body loses a huge amount of fluid. And you need to constantly replenish the water in the body. When dehydration occurs, sodium, potassium and other beneficial minerals are lost along with the fluid. Therefore, it is very important that the doctor prescribes rehydration therapy. It is advisable to constantly drink mineral water, but only without gas, as well as a decoction of chamomile, let's say green tea. Dairy products, sweets, and bread should be excluded from the diet. It is useful during recovery to eat rice porridge, bananas, which well compensate for the lack of potassium.

Antibiotics for stomach flu do not help

Since the disease is caused by a specific virus, it is pointless to use antibiotics, although many people think otherwise. Specialists treat only the symptoms of intestinal flu in order to make the person feel better. Gradually, the body itself will cope with the infection.

Oral infection or gastroenteritis, a disease that is popularly referred to as the stomach or intestinal flu. But this name does not mean that there is something in common between ordinary and intestinal flu. In fact, gastroenteritis has nothing to do with the common flu and SARS.

Gastrointestinal flu or rotavirus infection is a disease that has a viral nature. Once in the body, viral agents provoke the development of an inflammatory process in the gastrointestinal tract.

Most often, this disease affects children or people of retirement age. In adults, this pathology is much less common. In addition, in childhood, rotovirus disease has a more severe and prolonged course.

As a rule, the symptomatic picture of the disease is pronounced, but in persons with a stable immune system, the disease can proceed without external manifestations. There are cases when a person is a carrier of viral agents, but does not get sick.

The stomach flu has a long course. The acute manifestation of the pathology disappears after 7 days, and full recovery occurs after another week. A person is contagious throughout the illness.

Ways of transmission of the intestinal flu disease

The disease spreads in various ways. In order for the virus to begin to act, it must be on the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract. The standard route of entry is the oral cavity.

Intestinal flu enters the body:

from dirty hands and unwashed food;
from low-quality food;
while swimming in public pools or reservoirs;
with water that has not passed the boiling procedure;
from the air (during the conversation, the virus is released into the environment);
in contact with common objects.

Viruses that enter the body begin their detrimental effects from the very first hours. Under the influence of pathogens, the structure of the intestinal mucosa is disrupted, as a result of which the production of enzymes is disrupted. Against the background of such changes, unprocessed carbohydrate compounds accumulate in the intestines, to which liquid is attracted - this process becomes the cause of stool disorder.

During the treatment of the disease, all efforts are aimed at preventing dehydration, increasing immunity, normalizing the water and electrolyte balance and restoring the intestinal microflora.

In adults and children, it is carried out in a complex way. For this, the following groups of drugs are used:

vitamins;
antipyretic;
painkillers;
prebiotics and other means aimed at restoring microflora;
herbal medicines with astringent effect;
enterosorbents.

There is no clear plan according to which treatment is required. Intestinal flu requires the elimination of external manifestations.

In order to understand how and how to treat intestinal flu in adults and children, you need to consider the following scheme:

The production of rehydration. This is necessary so that diarrhea and vomiting with the flu do not lead to dehydration. For this, the drug Regidron is used, which is diluted in a liter of water. This volume of solution must be consumed per day in small volumes every 30 minutes. Adults should consume 200 ml of Regidron after each trip to the toilet or vomiting. This is due to the fact that the loss of fluid must be replenished within 6 hours. Children who have abdominal flu with vomiting and severe diarrhea should be hospitalized.
Young children should use a slightly different regimen for the use of Regidron. Children in the presence of attacks of vomiting should be given rasters in very small portions, this is necessary so that fluid intake does not provoke new attacks of vomiting and the solution remains in the child's stomach.

The consumption of the solution by children is carried out according to the following scheme: the first 250 ml should be drunk by the child in parts of 2-5 ml, giving the solution every 5-10 minutes. If the first few times the consumption of Regidron did not provoke vomiting, the volume can be doubled.
After the first glass of the solution has been swallowed, it should be given in small volumes every half an hour.
The use of sorbents. For this purpose, drugs such as Smecta, Entorosgel or Polysorb are quite suitable. These medicines remove toxins and toxins from the body, reducing intoxication.
The use of products containing food enzymes. As a rule, Creon or Pancreatin are prescribed.
Establishing a food intake regimen. During the period of intestinal flu, you must adhere to a diet. It should not include fatty and fried foods, drinks containing gases and a high percentage of acidity, as well as dairy products. More emphasis should be placed on the absorption of soups in vegetable broth, compotes and jelly, as well as cereals boiled in water. In the presence of vomiting, you should eat foods in small portions, but you should not refuse food at all.
Because stomach flu, nausea, and diarrhea almost always go hand in hand, replenishing your nutrient balance is a must.
Adult patients with frequent vomiting are allowed to use antiemetic medicines.
With repeated watery stools, in most cases, doctors recommend the use of Enterofurl.
Restoration of the natural microflora of the gastrointestinal tract. Such means as Linex or Hilak forte are acceptable for use.

During the acute phase of the disease, it is necessary to adhere to bed rest. If the symptoms are severe, even adults need hospitalization. To learn more about how to treat intestinal flu, you need to visit a specialist.

Prevention of the appearance of the intestinal virus

Since the disease can have a severe course, and treatment in adults and children can only be carried out symptomatically, care should be taken to prevent it.

To reduce the risk of infection:

observe personal hygiene and wash hands regularly;
teaching children about personal hygiene (it is important that children always wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet or public places);
conduct heat treatment of dishes (this is most important if there are already sick people in the house);
boiling water treatment of baby pacifiers and bottles (this procedure will avoid not only rotavirus infection, but also other problems with the gastrointestinal tract);
carry out regular wet cleaning;
regularly disinfect surfaces and door handles;
observe quarantine (prevent contact of sick people with healthy people).

Vaccination is considered the most effective way to prevent intestinal flu. The vaccine must be given before the age of 6 months. But since this type of vaccine is registered exclusively in the United States and European countries in Russia, it is quite difficult to carry out the procedure.

Which doctor should be visited for intestinal flu?

Since the disease can have different degrees of severity, a specific approach is required in each individual case. If the disease has a mild form, it is enough to visit specialists such as a pediatrician and a therapist.

If the symptoms of gastric flu become pronounced, in addition to the above doctors, you should also contact a gastroenterologist in order to conduct a complete examination and make sure there are no complications.

In addition, do not forget that rotavirus infection has symptoms similar to other intestinal infections, so it will not be superfluous to visit an infectious disease specialist to confirm the diagnosis.

After suffering from a disease called stomach flu, the symptoms, treatment and description of which are presented above, regardless of the severity, you should visit a dietitian in order to draw up the correct menu. This is necessary in order to prevent the development of concomitant diseases, such as gastritis.

Of the most common diseases, the most inconvenient is the intestinal flu. Symptoms, treatment and prevention methods can be found on the Internet, but this does not replace a personal visit to the doctor.

Intestinal influenza is an infectious disease of viral etiology, which affects the gastrointestinal tract. The causative agents are predominantly rotaviruses. The name "intestinal flu" is misleading, although common, as rotaviruses are not related to influenza viruses. The correct name is rotavirus infection.

Some similarity with the clinical picture of a respiratory disease, apparently, was the reason for the name of rotavirus infection "intestinal flu".

The disease is ubiquitous and occurs in all population groups, but children, immunocompromised persons and the elderly are more susceptible to it. Influenza in children is one of the most common causes of diarrhea, accounting for 20% of all cases of severe diarrhea in infants and about 5% of all deaths in children under five years of age. According to some reports, almost all children under the age of five suffer from this disease. The incidence increases in winter.

Causes and risk factors

Rotaviruses are a genus of viruses in the reovirus family (Reoviridae) that have a double-stranded, fragmented RNA. Of the nine known types of rotavirus, humans can be infected by types A, B, and C. Up to 90% of all cases of intestinal influenza are caused by rotavirus A. The diameter of the virion is 65–75 nm. The genome of the virus contains 11 fragments surrounded by a three-layer protein coat (capsid), which makes the virus resistant to acidic stomach contents and intestinal enzymes. The infectious agent is quite stable in the external environment (freely tolerates low temperatures and heating up to 60 ° C).

Replication of rotaviruses in the body occurs mainly in the enterocytes of the villi of the small intestine, which leads to the death of the latter and subsequent structural and functional changes in the epithelium. The virus enters the cell by direct penetration through the cell membrane or by endocytosis. Due to a violation of the digestive process and the accumulation of disaccharides, a large amount of water and electrolytes enter the intestinal lumen, which leads to the development of severe diarrhea and dehydration.

The infectious agent enters the human body through the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. The most common way of transmission of the intestinal flu virus is alimentary (the use of unwashed vegetables and fruits, meat and dairy products of dubious quality, etc.). Infection by airborne droplets and contact is also possible.

The first signs of intestinal flu are severe nausea, repeated vomiting, rumbling in the stomach, and diarrhea.

Differential diagnosis is carried out with gastritis, gastroenteritis, enterocolitis of a different etiology, food poisoning. Intestinal flu in pregnant women is differentiated from early toxicosis.

Treatment of the intestinal flu

Etiotropic treatment of intestinal influenza has not been developed, therefore, symptomatic therapy is used. Patients with rotavirus infection are isolated, depending on the severity of the disease and the age of the patient, treatment is carried out in a hospital or at home.

The main goals of therapy are the normalization of the water-salt balance disturbed due to vomiting and diarrhea, the elimination of intoxication and the disorders caused by it. Dehydration in childhood is especially dangerous, so children with severe diarrhea and repeated vomiting are subject to hospitalization, rehydration and correction of the electrolyte balance in them is carried out by intravenous drip of rehydrating solutions.

In adults, the indication for hospitalization is the presence of a fever in a patient for more than five days, pronounced signs of intoxication, indomitable vomiting and diarrhea, detection of blood impurities in the feces and vomit, impaired consciousness, pregnancy. In other cases, treatment is carried out at home.

Specific prevention of intestinal influenza is vaccination, two vaccines against rotavirus A have been developed, both contain live attenuated virus.

A plentiful drink is prescribed (non-carbonated mineral water, saline solutions, weak black tea) in small portions, since a large amount of alcohol consumed at once can provoke an attack of vomiting in the acute period of the disease; intake of enterosorbents. With an increase in body temperature above 38 ° C, antipyretic drugs are used. At the end of the acute stage of the disease, drugs that restore the normal intestinal microflora can be used (the need is determined by the attending physician).

Diet for stomach flu

Patients with intestinal flu are shown a diet. In the acute period of the disease, there is no appetite, any food and even its smell causes increased nausea and an attack of vomiting, therefore, a water-tea pause is prescribed until the end of acute manifestations (1-2 days). Then they give sweet tea with dried white bread, boiled rice. Then the diet is gradually expanded, introducing vegetable purees and cereals on the water, biscuits, baked apples, bananas, boiled lean meat and fish, low-fat and weak broth. Food should be fractional - 6-8 times a day in small portions. Until complete recovery, milk, dairy and sour-milk products, fatty, spicy, spicy, fried foods, sausages, concentrated juices, fresh vegetables and fruits, sweet carbonated drinks, fast food, coffee, alcohol are excluded from the menu.

Possible complications and consequences

Intestinal flu can be complicated by dehydration and its complications - heart, kidney failure.

Forecast

The prognosis is favorable in most cases. There are no long-term consequences of the disease. The prognosis worsens with the development of a severe form of rotavirus infection in young children and people with severe immunodeficiency.

Prevention

Vaccination is a specific prophylaxis for intestinal influenza, two vaccines against rotavirus A have been developed, both contain live attenuated virus and have proven to be an effective preventive measure.

Nonspecific prevention of intestinal flu consists of the following activities:

isolation of patients with intestinal flu;
avoiding contact with patients, especially during pregnancy;
regular hand washing after returning from the street, visiting the toilet, before eating;
eating proven quality products, refusing to eat expired products, thoroughly washing vegetables and fruits;
use of high-quality drinking water;
strengthening immunity;
rejection of bad habits.

Intestinal flu - as we colloquially call or any other rotavirus disease. Enterovirus received a comparison with influenza viruses because outbreaks of the disease often coincide with periods.

The disease mainly affects children and the elderly. In adults with strong immune systems, the virus may be asymptomatic, but an apparently healthy person can infect other people.

Unfortunately, the intestinal flu virus has an increased viability. You cannot get rid of it with ordinary wet cleaning. The enterovirus is also resistant to low temperatures, and tolerates heat well up to 60 ̊С. It can be destroyed at home only by means with a high concentration of chlorine.

Symptoms of the intestinal flu

You should know that the incubation period of viral enteritis is up to five days. The first symptoms of infection are usually:

nausea and vomiting;

stomach upset;

increased body temperature;

pain in the peritoneum;

stomach colic.

Symptoms of a cold can also be observed: cough, slight runny nose, sneezing, general weakness. The condition of a patient infected with intestinal flu returns to normal after 3-5 days, but for another month he can be a carrier of the virus and pose a danger to others.

Methods of transmission of intestinal flu

You can catch the enteritis virus almost anywhere. The virus enters the human body through the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract. The rate of development and severity of the course of gastric flu depends on the concentration of the pathogen that has entered the body, and the state of the human immune system.

Most often, the intestinal flu virus is transmitted by food. , poorly processed meat and dairy products, dirty hands while eating - this is not a complete list of opportunities to get viral enteritis.

You can also get infected by airborne droplets: germs from the carrier of the disease are easily transported through the air. So be careful around sneezing and coughing people.

It is impossible to exclude the contact method of infection with intestinal flu. In public transport, in schools, medical facilities, and other crowded places.

Protection against intestinal flu and methods of its treatment

Specific prevention of rotavirus diseases is vaccination. The essence of non-specific protection is reduced to careful observance of the rules of personal hygiene.

The main treatment of intestinal flu is aimed at reducing intoxication, normalizing water-salt metabolism, which is disturbed by diarrhea and vomiting. That is, the treatment is mainly symptomatic, aimed at reducing the negative impact of the virus on the body:

stay hydrated. For this, the patient needs to drink plenty of fluids;

reduce toxicity. A few tablets of activated charcoal will do the job just fine. A solution of Regidron is also recommended (a bag per liter of boiled water);

at an elevated temperature, the patient can be given paracetamol, aspirin, analgin and drugs that contain these drugs;

when the acute phase of the disease has passed, after consulting with your doctor in advance, you can take drugs to restore the intestinal microflora (linex, hilak-forte, etc.).

Dmitry Belov