Acute viral gastroenteritis

TABLE 73-4. Agents Responsible for Acute Viral Gastroenteritis and Diarrhea... 

In adults, about 70% of those with acute HAV infection develop jaundice much more commonly than with HBV or HCV. In children, acute HAV infection typically goes unrecognized and is often considered to be a viral gastroenteritis or other viral disease, since only 10% of children become jaundiced. The disease is more prolonged and serious in individuals over age 50. The specific etiological diagnosis is made with serological tests. An IgM antibody (anti-HAV IgM) appears early in the course of illness and persists for an... 

The Norwalk virus is an enterovirus with pronounced eco-epidemiological traits. It causes acute gastroenteritis with nausea, vomiting, fever, and myalgia that lasts 24-48 hours. The virus is transmitted through fecal-oral contact. The Norwalk virus is well established as the chief cause of viral gastroenteritis epidemics. The disease occurs throughout the year without a seasonal predominance. 

In the United States, the Norwalk virus is estimated to cause approximately 40% of cases of nonbacterial gastroenteritis. The Norwalk virus is, then, the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis in the United States. January 1, 2002, to December 2, 2002 Norwalk virus was attributed to 9 of the 21 outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis on cruise ships reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Pre-... 

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Occupational lung diseases Gastroenteritis Worm infestation Dyspepsia / ulcer Enteric fever Acute viral hepatitis Chronic liver diseases Skin infections Scabies Eczemas... 

Oh, D. Y., Gaedicke, G., and Schreier, E. (2003). Viral agents of acute gastroenteritis in German children Prevalence and molecular diversity. /. Med. Virol. 71, 82-93. 

Acute abdominal pain is a common complaint in the pediatric age group. A total of 10% of school-age children have recurrent abdominal pain and in only 10% of these children can etiology be detected. The majority of these children have self-limited disease. The most common associated conditions include upper respiratory tract infection, pharyngitis, viral syndrome, gastroenteritis, and constipation (Henderson et al. 1992). Therefore, it is uncommon for the underlying condition in these children to require surgical intervention. 

Worldwide viruses, bacteria and parasites cause enteritis. Viral acute gastroenteritis and enterocolitis are most frequent in the first 2 years of life. Imaging is mostly not required but plain films are sometimes useful to differentiate enteritis from other more serious diseases such as obstruction, intussusception, perforated appendix with peritonitis, neuroblastoma and Hirschsprung disease. 

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