When is diarrhoea not contagious

Even after your symptoms have cleared up, the virus may also still shed in your stool for several weeks. For example, norovirus can be shed in stool for 2 weeks or longer and rotavirus can be found in stool for up to 10 days. There are several types of viruses that can cause stomach flu. They include:.

While anyone can get stomach flu, some people are at a higher risk of developing severe illness, including:. The risk of a stomach flu outbreak increases when large groups of people are in close contact with each other. Examples of this include:. The viruses that cause stomach flu are present in stool and vomit.

Norovirus in particular is resilient. It can survive for 2 weeks on surfaces and for 2 months or more in water. It can also withstand temperature changes and many common cleaning products. This can make it easier to spread from one person to another. Although you may not be able to completely avoid these viruses, you can take steps to lower your risk, especially if someone in your household has a stomach virus.

If you currently have stomach flu, there are things that you can do to prevent the virus from spreading to other people. Typically, most people with stomach flu recover from their illness without having to seek medical treatment. The following home remedies can help ease the symptoms of stomach flu and prevent more serious illness. Medical treatment involves managing your symptoms and promoting hydration. This content does not have an English version.

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Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Norovirus. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed Feb. Always see your doctor if you experience serious symptoms. Babies and young children with diarrhoea need prompt medical attention. Treatment for diarrhoea depends on the cause, but may include:. Most cases of acute diarrhoea are potentially infectious to others. Viruses are easily spread, mainly through direct contact with vomit or faeces from an infected person, or through contact with a contaminated object or surface.

Occasionally, the virus may be transmitted by airborne particles generated from vomiting and diarrhoea. People can reduce their chances of getting infected by carefully washing their hands after going to the toilet and before handling food.

People looking after a person with the virus must also wash their hands thoroughly. Alcohol-based handwash solutions, available from pharmacies, have been shown to be better at reducing the spread of infection than soap and water, and are less drying to the skin. Anyone with acute diarrhoea should stay at home if possible to reduce the spread of infection.

It is strongly recommended not to visit hospitals and nursing homes, and not to swim in public pools. It may help to make a few short-term dietary adjustments while your bowels recover from acute diarrhoea. Be guided by your healthcare professional, but general suggestions include:.

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. The type of pain felt in the abdomen can vary greatly. Children may feel stomach pain for a range of reasons and may need treatment. Severe allergic reactions anaphylaxis and asthma attacks need urgent emergency first aid.

In an emergency, always call triple zero Around half of cases of anal fissures heal by themselves with proper self-care and avoidance of constipation.

The health department must be notified of gastro cases caused by campylobacter, cryptosporidium, listeria, salmonella, shigella and certain types of E.

This can help pinpoint outbreaks when they arise and allow for appropriate control measures. Gastro bugs are spread via the the faecal-oral route, which means faeces needs to come into contact with the mouth for transmission to occur. Sometimes this can happen if contaminated faecal material gets into drinking water, or during food preparation. But more commonly, tiny particles of poo might remain on the hands after going to the toilet.

After completely recovering from the symptoms of gastro, infectious organisms can still be shed into stools. Faecal shedding of campylobacter, the E. In fact, some people who have recovered from salmonella have shed the bacteria into their stools days later. Parasites can remain alive in the bowel for a long period of time after diarrhoea finishes. Infectious cryptosporidium oocysts can be shed into stools for up to 50 days. Giardia oocysts can take even longer to be excreted.

Much of the current advice on when people can return to work, school or child care after gastro is based on the most common viral gastroenteritis, norovirus, even though few patients will discover the cause of their bug. For norovirus, the highest rate of viral shedding into stools occurs 24 to 48 hours after all symptoms have stopped.