Gastroenteritis

It is an infection of the digestive tract causing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. It can be due to a virus (rotavirus, especially in children), a bacterium (salmonella, E. Coli, Shigella, etc.) or a parasite (amoeba) and is transmitted by water, contaminated food or hands. The treatment is therefore variable, depending on the cause found and from simple lifestyle and dietary measures to the administration of antibiotics or antiparasitics. Although infant mortality has declined globally over the past two decades, today diarrhoea, a symptom of acute gastroenteritis, is the second leading cause of death in infants between the ages of five weeks and five years, just after pneumonia. . Diarrhea alone kills more people than AIDS, malaria and measles combined. Access to clean water and proper sanitation and hygiene can prevent a significant proportion of diarrheal diseases. The main prevention measures set out by the WHO are: • Access to safe drinking water; • Improved sanitation; • Hand washing with soap; • Exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months; • Good personal hygiene and food preparation; • Health education on how infections spread; • Vaccination against rotavirus.