At some point everyone experiences a stomach virus, better known as the stomach flu. Accompanying it are its all too familiar symptoms; stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and, in some cases, fever. The more technical term for a stomach virus is viral gastroenteritis, and because no effective treatment currently exists, hand washing is a person's best defense, according to MayoClinic.com.
Rotavirus
MayoClinic.com and Arthur Schoenstadt, M.D. of eMedTV.com, state that rotovirus is the most common cause of stomach flu in children 3 months to 15 months, and the most common cause of diarrhea in children under the age of 5. Because of the complications accompanying this virus, it is also the leading cause of death among children. These include severe vomiting and diarrhea, which results in dehydration. Thousands of children require hospitalization to replace lost fluids and restore chemical balance. While adults can develop the infection, they generally do not suffer from any symptoms but can spread the infection to others.
Noroviruses
Different strains of noroviruses exist, including the Norwalk virus, according to MayoClinic.com. All strains produce similar symptoms that include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, fatigue, headache and low-grade fever. It can affect both children and adults and tends to spread quickly though those in confined areas. While person-to-person contact is a possible mode of transmission, the most common is through contaminated food or water. Symptoms typically occur within 18 to 72 hours after exposure, and the virus usually runs its course in two days.
Astrovirus
Schoenstadt explains that the astrovirus usually affects infants, young children and the elderly; these populations tend to have weaker immune systems and are unable to fight the infection. Vomiting and diarrhea occur one to three days after exposure occurs, and this type of virus is most active during the winter.
Poor Hygiene
The Cleveland Clinic points out that poor hand washing is a contributing factor to the stomach flu. Viral gastroenteritis is highly contagious. If an infected person touches objects around him with the infection on his hands, any person following him is at high risk for developing the infection themselves.
