Gastroenteritis

Question 1

What is defined as inflammation of the stomach and intestine?

Answer 1

Gastroenteritis

Question 2

What is the main feature of viral gastroenteritis?

Answer 2

Acute watery diarrhea

others: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, malaise, anorexia, myalgia, HA

Question 3

Replication of virus causing gastroenteritis occurs where?

Answer 3

Small intestine epithelial cells

Question 4

How long does a disease by viral gastroenteritis typically last?

Answer 4

Short duration (< 1 wk)

Question 5

How does virus shedding typically occur with viral gastroenteritis?

Answer 5

Virus shed at low levels for days to weeks after illness

Question 6

Patients with viral gastroenteritis and prone to secondary infection until what?

Answer 6

Tissue damage is repaired

Question 7

What is the treatment for viral gastroenteritis?

Answer 7

Oral rehydration therapy

NO ABX

Question 8

What are the 2 most common causative agents of viral gastroenteritis?

Answer 8

Norovirus (#1 cause of gastroenteritis) and rotavirus

also sapovirus, astrovirus, enteric adenovirus

Question 9

What is the single most common cause of food born illness in the US?

Answer 9

Norovirus

Question 10

How does norovirus contribute to hospitalizations?

Answer 10

Second most common (rarely causes death)

Question 11

How is infection via norovirus transmitted?

Answer 11

Direct contact (person to person or contaminated object) 
(also persistent in environment)

Question 12

What is the structure of norovirus

Answer 12

Naked, capsid composed of single protein

naked tend to be more persistent

Question 13

Norovirus is a member of which family? (along with sapovirus)

Answer 13

Caliciviridae

Question 14

How is norovirus controlled/ prevented?

Answer 14

Handwashing, safe food handeling

Question 15

Is there a vaccine for norovirus?

Answer 15

No, immunological memory short lived

Question 16

How is norovirus diagnosed?

Answer 16

Gold standard = RT-qPCR assays (test stool, vomitus, food, water, environmental specimens)

(can also use EIAs but not very effective)

Question 17

What is the most common cause of infant gastroenteritis?

Answer 17

Rotavirus (hospitalization common in children)

Question 18

When during the year is rotavirus most common?

Answer 18

Winter/ spring season (follows predictable and regular pattern)

Question 19

What is the structure of rotavirus?

Answer 19

dsRNA virus

Question 20

How is rotavirus prevented?

Answer 20

Handwashing, safe food handling, vaccination

Question 21

What is gold standard for diagnosing rotavirus?

Answer 21

RT-qPCR assays (stool samples)

can also use electron microscopy to image viral particles in stool sample