Last week, a young child was admitted to hospital amid a gastro outbreak at Little Zak’s, a childcare centre in Artarmon on Sydney’s North Shore that they attended.
On Sunday, October 23, the young child passed away.
While health authorities, who are investigating this child’s tragic death, have stated that they don’t believe the child’s death was related to to gastroenteritis, we can’t help but feel that it becomes important – now more than ever – to understand what gastroenteritis, or as it’s commonly referred to, gastro, is, what the tell-tale signs are and what we can do to treat ourselves, or our families, if we have it.
What is gastro?
Gastro is a common infection of the bowel that is easily transferred from person to person – and, in some cases, it can be fatal.
According to New South Wales Health, gastro can be caused by a myriad of things (and spread up to 48 hours after the symptoms have stopped), but it comes in two predominant strains: viral and bacterial.
Viral gastro is spread if the small droplets of vomit or diarrhoea of someone who has it contaminate surfaces like taps, toilets or even children’s toys.
Bacterial gastro is spread through poor hygiene; think of people not washing their hands after going to the bathroom, preparing or serving food past its use-by date, polluted water, as well as the handling of pets and animals.
What are the signs and symptoms?
If you have gastro, you will typically experience the main symptoms of this viral infection, like bouts of vomiting, watery diarrhoea – or even both at the same time.
Not only that, but you may find you have a fever (over 37.5˚C for an adult and over 38˚C for a child), stomach pains, nausea, headaches and muscle cramps.
Victoria’s Department of Health states that diarrhoea may last between one-three days, but can stretch out to as long as 10, while nausea and vomiting can last a day or two.
If you have bacterial gastro, you will experience some, if not all of these symptoms, although, your stomach cramps may be more severe, your fever higher and your diarrhoea may have traces of blood or mucus in it.
Gastro, in very serious cases, can also make you feel faint and that you can’t hold down fluids. These signs, in particular, call for urgent medical attention.
How you can treat it
It depends on what type of gastro you have – and how serious it is – but generally, Better Health Victoria suggests:
• Resting at home (kids attending childcare or school should stay at home for 24hours once their symptoms stop showing
• Drinking plenty of fluids, including chemist-available hydration drinks, like Hydralyte, which work to replace the salts and water your body loses from vomiting and diarrheaing
How you can prevent this from happening to others
• Whether you’re preparing or serving food, changing nappies or have just been to the toilet, always thoroughly wash and soap-up your hands
• Ensure all kitchen and bathroom surfaces are clean
• Always wash utensils thoroughly between uses, particularly between preparing raw and cooked food
• Eliminate the risk of bacteria growth by keeping cold food below 5˚C and hot food above 60˚C
• If you are overseas, only drink bottled water, brush your teeth with bottled water, avoid ice in your drinks and steer clear of foods that haven’t been cooked, as well as peeled fruits and vegetables
For more information about the specific strains of viral and bacterial strains of gastro, visit Better Health Victoria’s website.
If you feel like you, or your friends and family, has gastroenteritis, contact your local GP, or closest available medical practitioner for more information and treatment.
