What are common causes of gastroenteritis?
When you have gastroenteritis, a germ irritates and infects the lining of your stomach or bowel. Germs such as a virus, bacteria (bak-TE-re-ah), or parasite can cause it. Some common causes of gastroenteritis are: • Drinking water that is not clean. • Food poisoning (eating food that has germs in it). • Eating food that was prepared by someone who did not wash their hands after going to the bathroom. This may also happen if the person did not wash their hands after diapering a baby. • Having close contact with an infected person. This includes kissing them, eating or drinking after them, or sharing utensils like forks and spoons. Who is at higher risk for getting gastroenteritis? • People who drink water in countries that do not have purified (clean) water. • Campers or hikers who drink water directly from a stream. • People who eat raw shellfish (seafood) such as oysters. Also people who eat meats that are not fully cooked. • People who eat foods that have stayed out of the refrigerat
