Viral Enteritis

Viral enteritis, also called viral diarrhea, is a group of acute intestinal infectious diseases caused by various viruses. Clinical features are abrupt onset, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea with watery or loose stool, and sometimes fever and general malaise, with a short course and low fatality. Gastroenteritis caused by various viruses is clinically similar. Among the many viruses associated with acute gastroenteritis, the most important and studied are rotavirus and Norwalk-like viruses. In addition, calicivirus, enteric adenovirus, astrovirus, coxsackievirus, and coronavirus can also cause gastroenteritis. There is no specific therapy; treatment is mainly symptomatic. Withhold milk and disaccharides. Use antiemetics and sedatives for severe vomiting and diarrhea. Oral or intravenous rehydration to correct water and electrolyte disturbances.

Common Symptoms

Nausea and vomiting; garrison physician; fever; diarrhea; abdominal pain; chronic abdominal pain

Causes and Pathogenesis

Transmission is mainly person-to-person via fecal-oral or oral-oral routes, and possibly via water contamination or respiratory transmission. Adult rotaviral gastroenteritis (epidemic diarrhea) often occurs in waterborne outbreaks and can also spread by contact. Susceptible populations: Ordinary rotavirus mainly affects infants and young children, with peak incidence at 9 to 12 months of age; it is rare under 6 months, though recently neonatal cases in formula-fed infants have increased. Adults are often asymptomatic or mild. Adult diarrhea rotavirus is generally susceptible but mainly causes epidemics in young adults. Onset has clear seasonality, peaking in the cold autumn-winter season (December to February), though seasonality is unclear in tropical areas. Adult rotavirus diarrhea can occur year-round, but epidemics and outbreaks in China mostly occur from April to July. Pathogenesis: The virus mainly invades small intestinal villous epithelial cells, causing them to slough off and be replaced by squamous or cuboidal epithelial cells lacking digestive enzymes. Thus, brush-border enzymes such as maltase, sucrase, and lactase are reduced, causing absorption dysfunction. Lactose and other disaccharides cannot be digested and absorbed, accumulating in the intestine and altering osmotic pressure, drawing fluid into the lumen and causing osmotic diarrhea. Lesions are mainly in the duodenum and jejunum; epithelial cells may become cuboidal or irregular, but most mucosal cells remain normal. Villus epithelial cells show vacuolar degeneration, with numerous rotavirus particles in the endoplasmic reticulum.

Treatment

Drug therapy, rehabilitation therapy

Preventive Measures

Early detection and isolation of patients; disinfect patient feces; emphasize water source and food hygiene; disinfect utensils; nurseries should have strict disinfection and isolation protocols.

Department to Visit

It is recommended to visit the Gastroenterology department; an appointment can be booked on this platform before the visit.

Warm reminder: The above information is for health science reference only and cannot replace professional medical diagnosis. If you have related symptoms, please seek medical attention at a regular hospital promptly.