Types of intestinal infections

Intestinal infections can be bacterial or viral.

Viral intestinal infection

Viral infections are caused by rotaviruses and enteroviruses, which are spread not only through dirty hands, objects and food, but also by airborne droplets, since viral intestinal infections affect not only the intestines, but also the upper respiratory tract.

Among viral intestinal infections, there are dozens of groups of viruses that cause the disease. The most common groups of viruses are rotavirus and enterovirus infections.

Rotavirus intestinal infections (or intestinal flu) are detected in half of all cases of viral intestinal lesions. The disease always begins in an acute form, most often suddenly, the main symptoms are fever, frequent loose stools and vomiting.

With the development of enterovirus infection, an acute course of the disease with high temperature is also observed. It is worth noting that the diagnosis of such infections is difficult, since the disease has a variety of symptoms (muscle pain, lacrimation, fever, convulsions, drowsiness, photophobia, increased heart rate, weakness, heart pain, runny nose, sore throat, diarrhea).

This group of intestinal infections includes many viruses that can cause various diseases. Enterovirus infections can affect muscles, the central nervous system, skin, and heart.

Adenovirus infection is less common and the disease is characterized by damage mainly to the mucous membrane of the nose, eyes, but if the small intestine is affected, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and rarely vomiting may occur. Usually the symptoms go away in a couple of days.

Intestinal rotavirus infection

Rotavirus intestinal infections, also known as stomach (intestinal) flu, rotavirus gastroenteritis, are caused by viruses from the Rotavirus group.

When infected, a person remains dangerous to others from the moment the first symptoms appear (the first signs of the disease may appear 1-5 days after infection) until the symptoms of the disease end.

Rotaviruses affect both children and adults, but children experience the disease more severely.

Most often, the disease occurs in an acute form - abdominal pain, light diarrhea (possibly with bloody impurities), frequent vomiting, and a temperature rise to 39 ^o C. Also, with rotavirus infection, a runny nose and sore throat often appear.

Rotavirus infection occurs in various ways, but most often rotaviruses are transmitted due to poor hygiene (dirty hands, food, especially dairy products). It is worth noting that chlorination of water does not eliminate this type of virus.

Viruses of this group affect the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract and are excreted with the patient's feces. The disease causes a disruption of the digestive function, frequent and severe diarrhea, which leads to dehydration.

The first infection with this type of virus occurs in preschool or school institutions, where epidemic outbreaks of rotavirus infection cannot be ruled out.

Most children by the age of five have already suffered from the infection, and observations show that with each subsequent infection the disease becomes easier to bear, as the body develops protection against this type of virus.

The disease is usually seasonal and usually occurs during the cold season.

A distinctive feature of rotaviruses is that microorganisms do not die at low temperatures and can remain active in an unfavorable environment for a long time. In addition, rotaviruses affect the respiratory system and can be transmitted by airborne droplets.

A sick person can infect a fairly large number of people (those with whom he or she is in close contact) in 3-5 days.

There are no medications against rotaviruses and treatment is symptomatic (adsorbents, astringents, lacto-containing drugs, antipyretics, etc.).

The patient's diet should contain jelly, rice porridge, chicken broth. Portions should not be large, so as not to provoke vomiting and the food is more easily digested by the weakened organism.

In case of repeated vomiting and diarrhea, it is recommended to replenish the lack of salts and fluids in the body. The patient should be given frequent and small amounts to drink (approximately 50 ml).

With symptomatic treatment, the symptoms of the disease disappear on the 5th-7th day, and the body gradually recovers.

The temperature during the disease is difficult to bring down with antipyretic drugs and can last for several days.

A feature of this infection is the susceptibility of rotaviruses to increased temperature; at 38 ^o C the viruses begin to die, so it is not recommended to bring the temperature down below this mark.

Rotavirus infection does not cause complications if treatment is started in a timely manner, and the disease does not lead to negative consequences and has a favorable prognosis in most cases.

Experts recommend maintaining personal hygiene and drinking boiled or filtered water to prevent the disease.

Bacterial intestinal infections

Bacterial infections are caused by pathogenic bacteria (salmonellosis, dysentery, E. coli, etc.). Such infections are transmitted through dirty hands, objects, food, water.

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Salmonella intestinal infection

Salmonella infection is caused by microorganisms from the salmonella group. The disease affects animals, birds and humans, its pathogens are widespread and can remain active for a long time even in an unfavorable environment.

Salmonella bacteria begin to die within 7-10 minutes at a temperature of 70 ^o C.

Pathogenic microorganisms in the thickness of a piece of meat (approx. 10-12 cm) do not die even when boiled; in smoked or salted meat they remain active for up to two and a half months, in butter – up to four months, in milk – until the product turns sour.

In dust, bacteria remain active for up to three months, in soil – up to four and a half months, in a frozen state, particularly in food – for more than a year.

The infection is spread by infected domestic animals (horses, cats, dogs, chickens, ducks, etc.) or wild birds (seagulls, pigeons). Bacteria carriers can also be a source of infection.

Humans are mainly infected by eating meat from an infected animal or bird, or by eating eggs.

The risk of infection increases when meat is processed into minced meat, when meat preparation technology is not followed, and when meat dishes are stored in a warm place.

People infected with salmonella and carriers of the infection also pose a danger, especially if personal hygiene is not observed.

Human infection can occur in a factory or farm while caring for animals or birds, or in places where meat is slaughtered or processed.

Salmonellosis is quite widespread and can occur throughout the year (in the summer-autumn period, there is an increase in cases of the disease).

Salmonella intestinal infections develop in extremely severe forms, and children have a particularly hard time with the disease.

The disease can have several variants of progression; in total, there are three forms: localized, generalized, and bacterial excretion.

The most common form of the disease is localized, which is characterized by an acute course (usually manifests itself in the first day after infection). It begins with an increase in temperature, fever, then abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (greenish stool with a sharp unpleasant odor).

Complications due to infection pose a great danger, the most dangerous being infectious toxic shock, which causes swelling of the brain, adrenal, cardiovascular and renal failure.

Staphylococcal intestinal infection

The human intestine is home to a huge number of microorganisms, most of which support the immune system, while the rest are pathogenic (disease-causing). With a sharp increase in the number of pathogenic bacteria, dangerous diseases occur, usually this happens when immunity is reduced, after taking antibiotics that disrupt the intestinal microflora, etc.

Staphylococci are considered opportunistic bacteria, i.e. those that live in the human intestines, but under certain conditions begin to actively multiply and cause serious diseases.

Staphylococcal intestinal infections develop gradually, in most cases the first symptoms of the disease - runny nose, sore throat - are confused with a cold, the temperature very rarely rises above 37.5 ^o C.

The disease is severe, given that staphylococcal infection does not have characteristic symptoms; the condition is similar to food poisoning.

The disease manifests itself in the first day after infection; a person is bothered by abdominal pain, vomiting, loose stools with blood and mucus, skin rashes, and weakness.

Staphylococcus aureus bacteria multiply very quickly, especially in products stored at temperatures above 20 ^o C (dairy products, eggs, meat, fish, cream cakes, pies, salads are especially dangerous).

Despite the fact that specialists have now studied staphylococci completely and in the most detail of all known bacteria, the infection is difficult to treat. This is due to the fact that staphylococci are extremely variable and can quickly develop resistance to antibiotics.

Typhoid intestinal infection

Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella typhi bacteria, which enter the intestines with food or water. As the disease progresses, inflammatory processes begin in the intestines, ulceration and bleeding occur over time, and sometimes the intestines rupture.

If a person does not receive the necessary treatment, he or she may shed salmonella bacteria for several years after infection, and the person may also become a carrier of the infection.

The incubation period of the disease is from one to two weeks, the disease begins gradually, at first the temperature rises, joints and throat begin to hurt, appetite disappears. Then abdominal pain appears, nosebleeds in some cases pain appears during urination. In severe forms of the disease, delirium, numbness, coma appear. In 10 cases out of 100, pink spots appear on the patient's body 7 days after infection.

Salmonella bacteria can cause symptoms of urinary tract infections or pneumonia, making typhoid fever difficult to diagnose.

With timely and appropriate treatment, a person recovers completely, complications can develop in the absence (full or partial) of treatment, in particular, bleeding may occur after the 20th day of illness. In 2% of cases, a through hole is formed in the intestine, which leads to inflammatory processes in the abdominal cavity.

Salmonella bacteria can cause pneumonia, damage to the gallbladder, and liver. When bacteria enter the bloodstream, they damage the membranes of the brain, reproductive system, heart valves, bone tissue, urinary system, and kidneys.

Salmonella typhi bacteria are transmitted through the urine and feces of infected people. The risk of infection increases with poor personal hygiene and contamination of food and water with the bacteria. Insects (such as flies) also carry the bacteria.

If treatment is started on time, in most cases the person fully recovers (10 out of 100 patients experience a relapse of the disease, even when taking antibiotics).

Small children, the elderly, and people with severe exhaustion have a very hard time with the disease; the mortality rate from the infection among this category is quite high.

In severe conditions (numbness, coma, shock) the prognosis is disappointing, treatment and recovery period can take several years.

Intestinal coli infection

Caused by certain types of E. coli, the disease occurs in an acute form and is accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea.

Coli infection is also known as Escherichia coli or colibacteriosis, it mainly affects the intestines, in rare cases E. coli can affect the lungs, bile ducts, urinary system, and blood poisoning is also possible.

The disease usually affects small children (up to one year old), who have a hard time coping with the infection; the disease is especially severe in premature babies, those on artificial feeding, and those with various diseases that weaken the body.

The spread of the infection is facilitated by infected children, who release many pathogenic bacteria into the environment. Also, carriers of the infection and people who have had the disease in a mild or latent form pose a great danger.

The route of infection is fecal-oral, which is inherent in all intestinal infections. Pathogenic microorganisms can be transmitted through the hands of parents, medical personnel, as well as through various objects, products that the carrier of the infection touched. Bacteria can remain active for several months, and objects surrounding patients with coli infection can pose a threat to others.

The disease can also occur when the immune system is weakened; E. coli, which is present in the gastrointestinal tract and is restrained by beneficial microflora, can, under certain conditions, begin to multiply uncontrollably.

Klebsiella intestinal infection

Conditionally pathogenic intestinal microflora under certain conditions can cause a number of severe intestinal diseases. Among such bacteria, Klebsiella is one of the most common, which, if the immune system fails, can provoke both a mild infectious process and a severe disease.

There are several types of Klebsiella, among which intestinal infections are caused by the bacteria K. Pneumoniae and K. Oxytoca. The disease often occurs with weakened immunity, in young children, in old age, with immunodeficiency (diabetes, cancer, blood diseases, after organ transplant operations). Klebsiella infection often occurs in people who abuse alcohol.

Klebsiella bacteria can remain active in soil, food products (especially milk and dairy products).

The spread of infection is facilitated by sick people and carriers of the infection. Pathogenic bacteria can enter the intestines with poor-quality products (mainly through milk, meat), through dirty hands, vegetables, fruits.

The disease begins with abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and proceeds in an acute form. Temperature may rise.

Treatment depends on the severity of the patient's condition; probiotics and bacteriophages (viruses that destroy bacteria) are mainly prescribed.

Yersinia intestinal infection

Intestinal yersiniosis is caused by coccobacilli, which enter the body with contaminated water, food, through contact with animals, and through blood products.

The disease most often affects small children, especially under 1 year of age, young people and men.

Rodents, wild or domestic animals (horses, dogs, cats, cows, etc.) can spread the infection. Pork entrails are the most common source of human infection, there are indications that yersiniosis is an occupational disease of people working with raw meat.

Bacteria retain the ability to reproduce even at low temperatures.

The disease begins with diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain. Blood poisoning with this type of intestinal infection occurs quite rarely, mainly in children under three months and with immunodeficiency.

With normal immunity, Yersinia infection passes within a few days with symptomatic treatment; the effect of antibiotics in this case has not been proven. Antibacterial therapy is prescribed to children under three months and in immunodeficiency states, when the risk of developing blood poisoning increases.

Bacteria are sensitive to fluoroquinolones, third-generation cephalosporins, biseptol, and aminoglycosides.

Proteus intestinal infection

Proteus intestinal infection is caused by bacteria of the Proteus family. The disease mainly affects the gastrointestinal tract, but the possibility of the development of the pathological process in other organs (ears, eyes, etc.) is not excluded.

Proteus bacteria live in rotting products of animal origin (manure, meat, etc.), in addition, the microorganisms are resistant to external conditions.

Both humans and animals can spread the infection; the transmission routes are the same as in other cases of intestinal diseases – fecal-oral.

In most cases, the infection is transmitted through food products; Proteus bacteria are often found in meat products, fish, and milk. Very rarely, the infection is transmitted through water (during consumption or swimming in contaminated water bodies), or when personal hygiene is not observed.

Newborns and small children have a hard time coping with the infection.

The disease usually develops quickly, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting occur, and the temperature rises to 38-39 ^o C.

Antibiotics, bacteriophages, and enterosorbents are usually prescribed for treatment. The choice of antibacterial drug depends on the sensitivity of the bacteria.

The prognosis is favorable in most cases, but in severe cases of the disease and among children under one year of age, a fatal outcome cannot be ruled out.

Intestinal protozoal infections

Protozoan infections are caused by protozoan pathogens that can lead to the development of serious diseases. There are approximately 50 protozoa that can cause diseases in humans, and the infection rate is quite high among the population.

Protozoa can affect various organs and tissues (central nervous system, blood, intestines, lungs, etc.).

The spread of infection is facilitated by insects, which not only carry the infection from feces to food, but also bite people, and some microorganisms can be transmitted sexually.

Intestinal infections caused by protozoa: American trypanosomiasis, piroplasmosis, isosporiasis, malaria, amoebiasis (ulcerative lesion of the intestine), coccidiosis, giardiasis, infusoriasis, cryptosporidiosis, leishmaniasis, sarcosporidiosis, African trypanosomiasis, toxoplasmosis, trichomoniasis (urogenital infection transmitted sexually).

Fungal intestinal infections

Recently, fungal infections have been bothering more and more people, in particular, the number of patients with fungal infections of the intestine has increased.

The intestines are mainly home to Candida fungi, which cause candidiasis. Excessive growth of fungi occurs with decreased immunity, taking certain medications (especially antibiotics, corticosteroid hormones, laxatives).

In a healthy organism, fungi do not multiply, since the immune system and beneficial intestinal microflora restrain their reproduction. Intestinal microflora can be disrupted by severe nervous tension, poor ecology, and unbalanced nutrition.

The development of candidiasis in the intestines primarily indicates a disruption in the functioning of the immune system and may signal the development of a serious pathology.

Fungal intestinal infections are treated with local agents that are not absorbed into the intestinal walls, and with drugs that restore microflora.

When treating a fungus, you should carefully follow the doctor's recommendations, do not reduce the duration of treatment on your own, continue taking the pills even if the symptoms have disappeared, stick to the recommended diet, etc., otherwise the infection may recur and its treatment will be longer.

In case of fungal infections, you should reduce the amount of sweets in your diet (including drinks, baked goods), fatty, fried foods, eat more fruits and vegetables, unsweetened cereals, fermented milk products, and exclude alcohol.

In women, fungal infections in the intestines often occur simultaneously with thrush (vaginal candidiasis).

Intestinal infection at sea

Intestinal infections at sea are widespread, especially often small children are infected. The main reason for the spread of infection at sea is storing food outside the refrigerator, failure to comply with the technology of cooking meat products, insects that can transfer bacteria from feces to food, insufficient personal hygiene, eating unwashed vegetables and fruits.

Another cause of intestinal infection may be swimming in the sea, since during swimming a person may accidentally swallow water. Children are especially at risk, as they may drink sea water, bite their nails or eat with dirty hands.