Preventive measures against intestinal infections. Advice from nutritionists for the prevention of diseases of the digestive system

Intestinal infections (IUI) are one of the most common infections on Earth. This large group of pathologies, numbering more than 30 types, annually affects more than 1 billion people around the world, manifesting itself with dehydration, fever, symptoms of intoxication of the body, and therefore threatening not only health, but also human life. There are up to 500 cases in our country intestinal infections per hundred thousand population, and statistics place these diseases in 3rd place among all infectious diseases.

In this article we will study the reasons why infections develop in the intestines, consider their symptoms, treatment and prevention.

Why do intestinal infections occur?

The fact that intestinal infections are widespread seems quite obvious, because in order to enter the human body pathogenic microbes It is enough to be in food, water or on a person’s unwashed hands. But not everything is so simple. The first barrier to microbes trying to penetrate the human intestine is oral cavity. Saliva contains a special substance - lysozyme, which perfectly destroys microbes that enter the mouth. And even if the infectious agent passes this redoubt, it enters the stomach, the glands of which produce gastric juice, which is the second barrier to pathogenic microbes.

But that's not all. The intestinal mucosa contains special immune cells that detect pathogenic microflora and respond to it by turning on the body's immune defense. In this case, the obligate intestinal flora comes into the fight - the same beneficial microflora consisting of lacto- and bifidobacteria.

But if the body’s protective functions are weakened due to long-term illness or seasonal vitamin deficiency, pathogenic agents are not destroyed by the body’s defenses and begin to actively multiply, causing the development of acute intestinal infections. The infections in question are most susceptible to older people, people with gastrointestinal diseases, as well as individuals suffering from alcoholism. These categories of people are more often exposed to infections than others, and besides, their diseases are much more severe.

Children are of particular concern regarding intestinal infections. First of all, this applies to premature babies, artificially fed babies, children with immunodeficiency, as well as newborns who are introduced to complementary foods without prior heat treatment.

Let us also add that infection of OCI occurs through the nutritional route, that is, through the mouth. Transmission factors include food, household items, and swimming in open water.

Types of intestinal infections

As noted above, there are more than 30 intestinal infections, which are divided into:

1. Bacterial
These are the most common infectious diseases, such as dysentery and salmonellosis, escherichiosis and campylobacteriosis, cholera and botulism. This also includes diseases caused by clostridia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella.

2. Viral
First of all, these include rotaviruses, which cause rotavirus infection, also called “stomach flu”. In addition to rotaviruses, this group includes adenoviruses, coronaviruses and other pathogenic agents.

3. Fungal
This group of diseases includes intestinal infections caused by a fungus of the genus Candida.

General symptoms of OCI

Infectious diseases develop rapidly, and therefore no more than 6–24 hours usually pass from the moment of infection to the onset of painful symptoms. The infections in question manifest themselves as the following syndromes:

1. Toxic syndrome

When it occurs, the patient develops a low-grade fever (up to 37.5°C). True, in the case of cholera there may be no temperature at all, but with infection with staphylococci it can be short-lived and rise no higher than 38°C.

Typically, high fever is accompanied by symptoms such as pale skin and dizziness, weakness and body aches, nausea and vomiting.

2. Intestinal syndrome

Depending on the microbe that caused the infection, the symptoms of the disease differ. To figure out which microbes have affected the body, let’s consider several of the most characteristic syndromes:

• Gastritis syndrome. It causes epigastric pain and constant nausea and vomiting. Vomiting is usually repeated and does not bring relief. Sometimes vomiting reflex appears after an ordinary sip of water. Additional symptoms include loose stool, often one-time.
• Gastroenteritis syndrome. Its first sign is aching pain localized in the center of the abdomen. In this case, the stool becomes mushy, and a little later – watery. Different microbes also affect the color of the stool (with eschirichiosis it is yellowish, and with salmonellosis it has a green tint). In addition, the stool becomes mucous and fragments of undigested food may appear in it.
• Enteritis syndrome. In this case, there is no abdominal pain, and the infection manifests itself as diarrhea with watery stools.
• Gastroenterocolitis syndrome. The pain does not leave the person for a minute; he is tormented by diarrhea with loose stools, and after the act of defecation, the long-awaited relief does not come. And mucus and blood streaks appear in the patient’s stool. All this is aggravated by frequent and profuse vomiting.
• Enterocolitis syndrome. It is characterized by severe pain throughout the abdomen. This condition is complemented by frequent, painful bowel movements with liquid feces mixed with mucus.
• Colitis syndrome. Feeling aching pain localized in the lower abdomen (usually on the left). The patient suffers from painful diarrhea, often with mucus and streaks of blood. This syndrome is characterized by the presence of a false urge to defecate without relief after visiting the toilet.

Speaking about diseases, let's say that:

• if you are characterized by gastroenterocolitis or enterocolitis syndromes, you probably have salmonellosis;
• if you have symptoms of colitis and enterocolitis, perhaps dysentery or escherichiosis is raging in your body;
• if all symptoms indicate enteritis syndrome, there is a high probability that you are affected by cholera;
• If painful symptoms resemble gastroenteritis syndrome, rest assured, a rotavirus infection has settled in your intestines.

Intestinal infections in children

Children suffer these diseases much more severely, and the most dangerous symptom at young patients is rapidly developing dehydration. For this reason, the threat of death from infectious diseases often hangs over young patients. It should be noted that, unlike adults, who are characterized by a bacterial nature of infection, children’s bodies are more often affected by viruses. Moreover, the infection in children's body with its imperfect immune system, even opportunistic microbes can provoke it.

Complications of acute intestinal infections

The condition in question, without timely and adequate help, threatens a person with serious complications, such as:

1. Dehydration – loss of fluid and salt from the body as a result of excessive vomiting and diarrhea (doctors divide dehydration into 4 stages). In addition to loss of fluid from the body, a patient in this condition suffers from severe thirst and dry skin, decreased blood pressure and increased heart rate.

2. Dehydration shock. In essence, this is dehydration, only developing at a rapid speed and threatening death. Typically, water loss is accompanied by critical decline blood pressure.

3. Toxic shock. This condition is characterized by a rapid increase in toxins in the human body and an equally rapid drop in pressure.

4. Acute renal failure.

5. Inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia).

First aid for intestinal infection

If an infectious process develops in the intestines, first aid should be provided as quickly as possible, preferably in the first minutes after the appearance of unpleasant symptoms.

In this regard, immediately call ambulance needed for the following symptoms:

• frequent loose stools;
• rapidly rising temperature;
• profuse vomiting;
• abdominal pain;
• pronounced thirst;
• pale skin and profuse sweating;
• the appearance of blood in the stool.

What not to do if you have an intestinal infection

For cramping abdominal pain, high fever and loose stools:

• Do not take painkillers. If the patient has diseases such as cholecystitis or appendicitis, painkillers will only complicate the detection of the disease;
• It is prohibited to take Immodium, as well as Loperamide and other fastening drugs. Taking such medications results in an increase in the amount of toxins in the patient’s intestines, thereby aggravating his condition;
• it is forbidden to warm painful stomach(put a warm heating pad on it);
• cannot be treated with traditional and homeopathic remedies. The consequences of such attempts are usually disastrous.

How can you help the patient before the doctors arrive?

1. Gastric lavage
To remove toxins that poison the body from the intestines and make you feel better, drink 2-3 glasses of water in one gulp, and after a minute, induce a vomiting attack by pressing on the root of the tongue. But doctors do not encourage using a solution of potassium permanganate. According to experts, the effect of such a remedy does not exceed plain water, and in case of incorrect dosage, it can cause a burn to the mucous membrane.

2. Reception of sorbents
Before the arrival of doctors, the patient can take any sorbents - Smecta, Sorbex, Activated carbon and others. These medicines will help remove toxins and make you feel better.

3. Drink plenty of fluids
To combat dehydration, it is important to drink plenty of water. Moreover, it can be not only pure water, but also mineral water, black or green tea. In this case, you should drink little by little, but often (half a glass every 10 minutes).

Diagnosis of the disease

To confirm the development of an acute intestinal infection, the doctor first interviews the patient, asking what he ate in the last 24 hours. To confirm the suspected diagnosis and identify the pathogen, the patient is prescribed the following procedures:

• a detailed blood test to identify the nature of the infection (bacterial, viral, etc.);
• biochemical blood test (detecting electrolyte imbalance in the body);
• bacteriological examination of stool (helps determine the type of intestinal infection);
• general urine test (helps assess the condition of the kidneys, which are extremely sensitive to infections and intoxications);
• electrocardiogram (detects heart rhythm disturbances that occur against the background of water-electrolyte imbalance);
• Ultrasound internal organs(helps identify disorders in the liver, kidneys, bladder and pancreas).

Treatment of acute intestinal infection

If this condition is diagnosed, children are hospitalized regardless of age, and adults are hospitalized in the presence of moderate and severe intestinal infection. A patient is also placed in a hospital if it is impossible to isolate him from his household at home.

Throughout the treatment, the patient is prescribed bed rest (and after diarrhea stops, semi-bed rest). The patient is prescribed a special diet (table No. 4). With her in acute period diseases, you can use weak meat broths and slimy soups, ground lean fish and meat, crackers and white dried bread, peeled apples and uneaten cookies.

The following should be excluded from the diet: milk, smoked and canned foods, spices and seasonings, green onions, garlic, radishes and alcohol. You should return to your normal diet carefully, gradually introducing regularly consumed foods into your diet over the course of 2-3 weeks. The last to be introduced are milk, as well as refractory fats, which will be poorly digested for another 2-3 months.

Drug treatment

To replenish fluid loss in a patient, he needs rehydration therapy. If there is vomiting, specialists administer special solutions to the patient intravenously, and as soon as the vomiting goes away, the liquids can be taken orally. On average, the patient should drink liquids of 30 g/kg of body weight during the day, taking the prescribed remedy every 10–15 minutes for several sips.

In addition, the patient is prescribed:

• enterosorbents (Lactofiltrum, Enterosgel, White coal, Baktisubtil, Smecta and others);
• intestinal antiseptics (Intestopan, Intetrix, Enterofuril);
• probiotics (Linex, Bifiform, Acipol and others);
• enzymes (Mezim, Pancreatin and others).
• Antibacterial drugs for this disease can only be prescribed by a doctor.

As a rule, timely treatment begins quickly leads to the disappearance of unpleasant symptoms and normalization of the patient’s condition. The truth in in rare cases the outcome of such a disease may be a dysfunction of the pancreas, the development of dyspepsia or a disorder of the biliary tract.

Disease prevention

To avoid encountering OCI, it is important to follow the following measures precautions:

• Drink exclusively bottled or boiled water;
• subject food products to careful heat treatment;
• rinse vegetables and fruits with water before consumption (and for children - with boiled water);
• do not store perishable foods for a long time;
• observe the rules of personal hygiene;
• maintain cleanliness in the living area (paying special attention to the toilet and bathroom).
  Good health to you!

Acute intestinal infections are widespread throughout the world, affecting adults and children.

Among all infectious pathologies, acute intestinal infections account for 20%.

In 2016 acute intestinal infections in Russia, 1.4 million people were ill (about 70% of them were children); About 400 thousand people suffered from dysentery, and 6 thousand from typhoid fever. The number of people infected with viral hepatitis A was more than 700 thousand.

Acute intestinal infections are a group of infectious diseases caused by various microorganisms (bacteria, viruses), manifested by digestive disorders and symptoms of dehydration.

Intestinal infections occur at any time of the year: viral, most often found in the cold season (with an increase in the incidence of influenza and ARVI), bacterial - in the warm season.

Due to beneficial effects warm climate on the proliferation of microorganisms, the incidence of acute intestinal infections is especially high in the summer. During this period it is celebrated sharp increase level of contamination of water, soil, food with pathogens of acute intestinal infections. Children are especially susceptible to intestinal infections during warm periods. This is due to the low degree of activity of protective factors, as well as the lack of developed hygiene skills in children. Immune defense factors in the gastrointestinal tract in children are formed by the age of 5.

Almost all pathogens of acute intestinal infection are characterized by very high stability. For example, the causative agents of paratyphoid and typhoid fever continue to survive in milk for more than 2 months, and in water even longer.

Dysentery microbes in milk can live and multiply for 7 days, and in river water - 35 days. Viruses can remain viable on various objects from 10 to 30 days, and in feces for more than six months.

Types of acute intestinal infections:

bacterial : salmonellosis, dysentery, yersiniosis, escherichiosis, campylobacteriosis; acute intestinal infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Clostridia, Klebsiella, Proteus; staphylococcal food poisoning, typhoid fever, cholera, botulism and others

ACI viral etiology : rotavirus, enterovirus, coronavirus, adenovirus, reovirus infections

fungal intestinal infections (usually fungi of the genus Candida)

protozoal intestinal infections (giardiasis, amoebiasis) - characterized by extremely severe clinical symptoms.

Who is the source of infection?

The main source of infection is sick Human. Healthy is dangerous bacteria carrier and those whose disease occurs in an erased form, in which he does not even notice it.

How does infection occur?

Routes of infection:

Bacteria enter the human body through the mouth, with food, water, or through dirty hands. For example, dysentery can begin when drinking tap water or unboiled milk; E. coli can enter the body with expired fermented milk products; You can become infected with salmonellosis by eating contaminated foods, such as chicken meat and eggs, vegetables and herbs that have not been properly washed with water.

Mechanism of infection.

The main mechanism of microorganisms entering the human body is nutritional, but viral infections are also characterized by airborne infection.

Transmission factors:

Food products, household items, swimming in open water (depending on the infection). Insects (cockroaches, flies) are important in the transmission of some infections.

Unsanitary conditions

Failure to comply with personal hygiene rules

* The patient’s discharge is the most dangerous.

Most susceptible to intestinal infections:

Children under 5 years old

Elderly people

Persons with diseases gastrointestinal tract

People suffering from alcoholism

People with weakened immune systems.

Incubation period on average lasts from 6 hours to 2 days.

Clinical picture.

As a rule, acute intestinal infections begin acutely with increased body temperature, loose stools, and abdominal pain.

General symptoms of acute intestinal infections:

Intoxication. Fever, weakness, dizziness, body aches

* Digestive disorders: pain in the stomach, nausea, repeated vomiting, increased stool frequency (stools become watery)

Dehydration. Especially dangerous for children.

Clinical picture and prevention of certain infections.

Infections caused by bacteria.

Cholera.

Calls cholera bacterium species Vibrio Cholerae.

Infection is transmitted with raw water, food, in contact with patients.

Incubation period lasts from several hours to 6 days, more often 1-2 days.

Symptoms of infection: pointed facial features, hoarse voice, excruciating thirst, constant vomiting, dry skin, weakness, sudden and frequent diarrhea resembling congee, muscle pain and cramps.

Treatment aimed at restoring the water-salt balance, introducing antibiotics and vitamins.

Prevention cholera is to prevent the introduction of infection, to comply with sanitary and hygienic measures, such as water disinfection, hand washing, heat treatment of food, and disinfection of common areas. Specific prevention consists of administering cholera vaccine and cholera toxoid (valid for 3-6 months).

Salmonellosis

Called bacteria of the genus Salmonella that enter the body with food products of animal origin.

Main routes of infection:

Food: meat of infected animals and birds, insufficiently thermally processed; drinking contaminated water

When swimming in contaminated water.

Incubation period lasts from 2 hours to 3 days, usually 6-24 hours.

Symptoms: increase in body temperature to 38-39 o C, weakness, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, rumbling, bloating, repeated loose watery stools, pain in muscles and joints, limb cramps.

Treatment consists of gastric and intestinal lavage, administration saline solutions, antispasmodics and antibiotics. Drinking plenty of fluids is necessary.

Prevention: thorough heat treatment of chicken meat and eggs, adherence to personal hygiene rules, separate storage and cutting of raw and prepared food.

Dysentery (shigellosis).

Pathogens dysentery belongs to the genus Shigella.

Source infection is a patient or a bacteria carrier.

Transmission mechanism - fecal-oral.

Main transmission routes - contact and household, water, nutritional.

Transmission factors: mostly milk. Possibly vegetables, fruits, various objects contaminated with Shigella, flies.

Incubation period lasts from several hours to 7 days, more often 2-3 days.

Symptoms:

The disease begins acutely with the appearance of abdominal pain. Next comes stool disorder. The frequency of stool ranges from 10 to 20 times a day. The stool is initially fecal in nature, then mucus and blood appear, the volume of feces decreases, and they can take on the appearance of spitting. The disease is accompanied by increased body temperature, chills, weakness, lethargy, and decreased appetite.

Treatment:

Patients with dysentery must remain in bed. Patients with moderate to severe and severe course diseases. Medical nutrition, antibacterial therapy, compensation for fluid loss, and drinking plenty of fluids are prescribed. For abdominal pain, antispasmodics are prescribed.

Prevention:

For emergency prevention, dysentery bacteriophage is used. General prevention - sanitary and hygienic measures.

Botulism.

The causative agent of the disease is Clostridium botulinum

Infection occurs when consuming foods in which bacteria multiply under anaerobic conditions and toxin accumulates in large quantities.

Incubation period lasts from 2 - 4 hours to 10 days. On average - 2 days.

Clinical picture.

The disease begins acutely. Main symptoms: headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, blurred vision, swallowing, voice change. Death occurs from respiratory paralysis.

Treatment.

If botulism is suspected, patients should be emergency hospitalization in hospitals with intensive care units. First of all, carry out cleansing the stomach and intestines, administering anti-botulinum serum. Its most effective administration is on the first day. Antibiotics are prescribed. Patients with severe disease undergo artificial ventilation lungs.

Prevention:

Strict adherence to the technology of production of canned products.

Store homemade preparations in the refrigerator.

Persons who have consumed the suspect product are given half the therapeutic dose of anti-botulinum serum.

Infections caused by viruses.

Rotavirus infection.

Pathogen infection is rotavirus.

Mostly children from 6 months to 4 years old are affected.

Transmission mechanism The pathogen is fecal-oral, often through water.

Source of the disease- sick, to a lesser extent a virus carrier.

Incubation period lasts from 15 hours to 7 days.

Clinical picture.

The disease begins violently, acutely, with cramping pain in the abdomen, rumbling, and loose stools. Half of the sick people vomit. These symptoms are combined with fever, headache, intoxication and catarrhal symptoms. There is a decrease or absence of appetite.

Treatment.

Patients with severe signs of dehydration are subject to hospitalization. The majority of patients are treated at home. Rehydration therapy is carried out. Replenish fluid in volumes corresponding to losses. A gentle diet is prescribed until stool is restored.

Prevention:

Identification and isolation of patients.

Disinfection at the source of infection.

Enteroviral infections.

Pathogen- enteroviruses of the Coxsackie A, Coxsackie B, ECHO groups.

Transmission mechanism- fecal-oral. The route of transmission is nutritional. Transmission factors are most often vegetables.

Source of infection- a sick person who releases viruses into the environment through feces and respiratory secretions.

Incubation period ranges from 2 to 10 days.

Clinical picture.

The disease begins acutely with an increase in body temperature to 38-39 o C, headache, and muscle pain. Possible nausea and vomiting, frequent loose stools. Sometimes catarrhal phenomena (rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis) are added, as well as herpetic rashes on the tonsils. Manifestations of enteroviral infections are diverse, especially severe forms the development of serous meningitis and heart damage is possible.

Treatment.

Hospitalization is carried out according to clinical indications. In particular, if there is meningeal syndrome and other lesions of the nervous system. Anti-inflammatory and dehydration therapy is carried out.

Prevention:

Early detection of sick people

Isolation of sick people for 2 weeks

At the source of infection - disinfection

Children under 3 years of age who have had contact with patients are given normal human immunoglobulin, leukocyte interferon is instilled into the nose for 7 days.

Infections caused by protozoa.

Giardiasis.

The causative agent of infection is Lamblia intestinalis is a protozoan.

Source of infection - a sick person or a cyst carrier. The source of cysts can be dogs and other animals.

Transmission mechanism - fecal-oral (through water, food products, household items, dishes).

Incubation period is 10-15 days.

Clinical picture.

Patients experience pain in the upper abdomen or in the navel area, bloating, rumbling, nausea, constipation followed by diarrhea (yellow stools with a slight admixture of mucus), biliary dyskinesia, atopic dermatitis, general weakness, fatigue, irritability, decreased appetite , headaches, dizziness, poor sleep.

Treatment.

Prevention:

Timely identification of patients and their treatment

Protecting products from contamination

Fighting flies

Do not use water from open sources without first boiling it

Washing fruits and vegetables

Compliance with personal hygiene rules.

Diagnosis of acute intestinal infections.

The diagnosis is established on the basis of clinical signs of the disease, laboratory examination results, and epidemiological history.

Treatment of acute intestinal infections.

If you suspect an acute intestinal infection, you should contact an infectious disease specialist, therapist or pediatrician. In case of significant abdominal pain in children, it is necessary to call an ambulance to exclude surgical pathology. Children early age are subject to mandatory hospitalization.

Symptoms that require you to see a doctor immediately:

Loose stools more than 5 times a day

Repeated vomiting

Blood in the stool

Cramping pain in the abdomen

Marked weakness and thirst

Presence of concomitant chronic infections.

Use painkillers. In the case of surgical pathology, this will complicate diagnosis

Self-administer antidiarrheals, since in most intestinal infections toxins accumulate in the intestines, and the use of such drugs will lead to their accumulation

Use a heating pad. This will only intensify the inflammatory process.

Prevention of acute intestinal infections.

Prevention of acute intestinal infections includes general hygiene and medical measures carried out constantly, regardless of the time of year and the level of morbidity.

It is necessary to identify the source of infection, isolate it and begin treatment. Disinfect the room where the patient was.

Basicpersonal prevention measures :

Observe the rules of personal hygiene: wash your hands thoroughly before eating and serving food, after visiting the toilet, outside

Keep children's hands clean, teach them to observe personal hygiene rules

Drink boiled or bottled water

Choose safe products

Monitor product expiration dates

Wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly before consumption under running water, or for children, boiled water.

Carry out thorough heat treatment necessary products

It is advisable to eat food immediately after preparing it

Store finished products in the cold, protecting them from flies. Do not leave prepared foods at room temperature for more than 2 hours

Properly store food in the refrigerator: avoid contact between raw and prepared foods (store in separate containers)

Don't accumulate trash

When going on vacation, you need to take with you a supply of clean drinking water. Do not drink water from open sources

Swim only in places specially designated for this purpose. When swimming in ponds and pools, do not allow water to get into your mouth.

Public prevention measures.

In order to prevent acute intestinal infections, state sanitary and epidemiological supervision is carried out over compliance with sanitary rules and norms at production, storage, transportation and sale (wholesale and retail) of food products, public catering, water utilities, regardless of the form of ownership and departmental affiliation; monitoring compliance by staff with sanitary rules and regulations in organized groups of children and adults, in medical institutions, sanatoriums, rest homes, nursing homes, etc.

Mandatory hygienic training is carried out for employees of certain professions, industries and organizations directly related to the process of production, preparation, storage, transportation and sale of food products, drinking water, training and education of children and adolescents, with the issuance of personal medical records to them.

With the onset of summer, the potential for acute intestinal infections increases sharply.

The group of intestinal infections is quite numerous. This includes infections caused by various microorganisms:

Bacteria - dysentery, typhoid fever, paratyphoid A and B, cholera, salmonellosis, various escherichiosis, etc.

- a large group of diseases caused by viruses - viral hepatitis A, rotaviruses, noroviruses, astroviruses, colicinoviruses and others.

The main route of infection with intestinal infections is fecal-oral, i.e. when the pathogen enters the human body through the mouth and actively multiplies in the gastrointestinal tract.

Hence the main clinical manifestations of the disease: general lethargy, weakness, poor appetite, headache, which is later joined by vomiting, loose stools, abdominal pain, fever, chills.

Microbes are released into the external environment with the patient’s secretions, and then, getting into the soil, open water bodies, household items, and food products, they can remain there for a long time, and under some conditions multiply intensively.

IN last years there is a clear trend towards intensification enterovirus infection in the world, as well as in a number of territories of the Russian Federation (Khabarovsk Territory, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov, Lipetsk, Kaluga and a number of other regions), where local outbreaks of this infection have been registered this year. The clinical picture of EVI is varied, but quite often manifests itself in the form of serous meningitis.

Many pathogens of intestinal infections are highly resistant in the external environment:

- Salmonellosis pathogens, for example, remain viable in room dust for up to 90 days, and in soil for up to six months;

- Shigella (causative agents of dysentery) - survive on dishes for a month, in soil - up to 3 months, in water - up to 2 months, etc.;

And often group diseases of acute intestinal infections were associated precisely with swimming in contaminated water of rivers or ponds, consumption of contaminated food, including vegetables and fruits, unboiled water, as well as contact with patients or carriers of intestinal infections.

There are three main factors for transmission of infection: use poor quality food products, use for drinking and cooking food contaminated water, failure to comply with personal hygiene rules.

To avoid contracting acute intestinal infections and food poisoning, you must follow the basic rules of prevention:

1. Try, if possible, to avoid contact with persons who have signs of an infectious disease; limit contact with young children.

2. Observe the rules of personal and public hygiene, and above all, wash your hands frequently. Wash your hands thoroughly before preparing and eating food, after going outside, and after each visit to the toilet. Special attention frequent washing hands must be given to office workers.

Also remember that pets - dogs, birds, and turtles - are often carriers of dangerous microorganisms which can get into your food through your hands.

3. Use individual utensils, especially at work and on vacation, monitor the cleanliness of care items, especially for young children.

4. Carry out wet cleaning of premises using disinfectants as often as possible.

5. Choose safe foods. Buy particularly perishable products (meat, milk, cottage cheese, eggs, etc.) only in designated places (in stores, markets and micromarkets) where these products are quality controlled.

Many products, including fruits and vegetables, must be thoroughly washed with boiled water before consumption, or, more safely, subjected to heat treatment, the purpose of which is to make the food safe and extend its shelf life.

6. Do not swim in stagnant ponds and fountains, or in areas of unauthorized beaches. If you still dare to swim, avoid swallowing water.

7. Do not drink water from unknown sources and open water bodies. For drinking purposes, it is better to use boiled or bottled water, this is especially true in the summer when going outdoors.

8. Fight flies, cockroaches, rodents - carriers of infections.

9. If there is already a sick person in the house, then you need to be very careful about hygiene - protecting your hands with gloves when caring for the sick, contacting objects in the patient’s environment, thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water, treating them with alcohol-containing skin antiseptics.

Dishes, washable items used by an infected patient, as well as toys (if a child is sick) must be boiled.

All items that have been soiled with vomit must be washed immediately at a temperature of at least 60º.

Such observance of hygiene rules will help to avoid further spread of infection and reinfection of people.

Most cases of AEI in Lately flows into mild form Therefore, some patients do not seek medical help and often self-medicate. And this is unsafe, since in young children, elderly people, and people with weakened immune systems, some infections can be very severe and even fatal.

It is difficult to find a person who has never had an intestinal infection. This disease is quickly transmitted from person to person if the preventive measures, as a result, entire families or groups become infected. Prevention of intestinal infections is mainly reduced to compliance with hygiene rules. These measures are often enough to avoid illness.

General characteristics of the disease

Acute intestinal infections, in medical practice The abbreviation OKI is often used - this is a huge group of infectious diseases that are caused by pathogenic and conditionally harmful bacteria, viruses and some protozoa. The most common intestinal infections are dysentery, salmonellosis, cholera, rotavirus, enterovirus, as well as foodborne illness caused by staphylococcus. Diseases in this group are quite common and are second only to respiratory diseases in the number of cases of infection. The majority of cases are children from one to six years old.

Main causes of the disease

Intestinal infections most often occur due to failure to comply with basic hygiene rules or improper heat treatment of food. Infection occurs due to the following factors:

• In direct contact with a sick person.
• When using household items and utensils that were previously used by a sick person.
• When drinking raw drinking water from the tap if it has not been properly purified.
• If food was handled with dirty hands.
• When consuming low-quality or expired food.
• If hygiene is not observed in the kitchen during food preparation and storage kitchen utensils.
• If a person swallows water while swimming in open water.
• When consuming raw milk or uncooked dairy products.
• If you eat undercooked meat or raw eggs.
• If a person does not wash his hands after interacting with pets or birds.

You can get an intestinal infection everywhere - in public transport, stores, various organizations and children's groups. Almost no one is safe from it. In pregnant women and children younger age The disease is especially severe due to reduced immunity; the risk group also includes elderly people.

Insects, mainly flies, are often carriers of intestinal infections. They carry pathogens on their paws. For preventive purposes, you need to protect your home from these annoying insects.

Symptoms of diseases

Once the pathogen enters the human body, it is considered a carrier of infection. For a few more days, a person may not even suspect that he is sick and continue to communicate with many people. The incubation period can be from a couple of hours to several weeks, it all depends on the type of pathogen and the person’s immunity.

After incubation period The acute phase of the disease develops, which is manifested by the following symptoms:

1. From the gastrointestinal tract there are a number of pathological changes- nausea, uncontrollable vomiting, pain in the stomach and abdomen, watery diarrhea, sometimes interspersed with blood and mucus.
2. From the central nervous system - dizziness, pain, fever, sometimes convulsions and confusion.

In especially severe cases, when infected with a certain pathogen, dehydration quickly occurs. The patient's mucous membranes become dry, the skin becomes bluish and feels severe weakness.

To prevent dehydration, which poses a danger to life, it is necessary to feed a sick person often, but in small portions. As a drink, you can give water, teas, compotes, fruit drinks and herbal decoctions.

How to prevent intestinal infections

Measures to prevent intestinal infections are quite simple, but at the same time effective. To protect yourself and your family from this unpleasant disease, you need to follow these recommendations:

• It is good to wash vegetables, fruits and berries under running water - especially those that will be eaten raw. After washing, it is advisable to rinse the plant products with boiling water under the influence of high temperatures the majority of pathogens die.
• You need to wash your hands immediately after going outside, using the toilet, after playing with pets, and periodically throughout the day.
• Hands are washed well before starting food preparation, as well as during the cooking process, especially after cutting raw meat or fish.
• Eggs must be washed before cooking. warm water with soap. Eggshells are literally teeming with the pathogen Salmonella; pathogenic microorganisms can penetrate inside eggs during long-term storage, so it is not recommended to eat them raw.
• You should not eat raw or undercooked meat, fish, or drink raw milk that was not purchased in a store.

It must be remembered that frozen meat must be completely defrosted before cooking. Due to the low temperature inside the product, the meat may not be cooked through.

• Prepared and raw foods should be stored separately from each other; in addition, different boards should be used for cutting them, which should preferably be labeled.
• Jellied meat, vinaigrette and other salads should be prepared immediately before serving; their long-term storage is unacceptable.
• Food must be stored in the refrigerator, low temperatures prevent the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms.
• Food must be protected from flies and other insects. For this purpose, you can purchase a special mesh cap with which to cover the plates.

Prevention of intestinal infections includes keeping your home completely clean. Kitchen rags and sponges need to be changed regularly, as they are considered a breeding ground for infection. In addition, the trash can is constantly washed disinfectant solution.

Particular attention is paid to the cleanliness of the bathroom. It is advisable to wash the toilet every day with the addition of chlorine or other disinfectants.

If a case of AEI is registered in a children's group

If a child falls ill in a kindergarten or school, a quarantine is introduced. Its duration depends on the type of pathogen. In this case, doctors from the sanitation station visit children's institutions and take samples from surfaces and food that children eat. During the quarantine period, new students and those children who have been absent for a long time are not accepted into the group or class. Quarantine is considered over when last case the disease has passed certain time, most often it is 2-3 weeks.

If a teacher, nanny or teacher falls ill with an acute intestinal infection, that is, those people who directly communicate with children, then quarantine is also introduced. A person can go to work not when it calms down acute symptoms disease, and then when the test results show that the pathogen is absent in the body.

All surfaces in a classroom or kindergarten group are well disinfected, toilets are washed with chlorine, and complete antiseptics are observed when preparing food. After eating, dishes are washed with soapy water and then doused with boiling water.

Intestinal infections are not uncommon; many people become infected with pathogenic microorganisms every day. With properly organized treatment, all symptoms of the disease quickly disappear, and the person recovers in a short time.

otravlenye.ru

Prevention of intestinal infections: precautions and reminders

Prevention of intestinal infections is relevant in warm time of the year. IN summer heat Most pathogenic microorganisms are activated and introduced into the human body. During the hot season, doctors note a significant increase in the incidence of intestinal infectious diseases. Danger to human body present staphylococcal infections, salmonella, shigella, enterovirus and others acute infections. Soon they enter the body and multiply in the intestines, causing serious illnesses. Popular cause of acute intestinal diseases in young children - rotavirus.

A simple way for pathogenic microflora to enter the intestines is through dirty hands. However, this way is far from the only one. Bacteria enter the body with dirty water and unwashed vegetables or fruits. When eating insufficiently processed meat or swimming in a body of water.

Measures to prevent gastrointestinal infections are digestive hygiene. These rules are simple, but you must adhere to them constantly.

Prevention of acute intestinal infections when preparing food

Measures to prevent intestinal infections that are observed during food preparation and storage of food products:

1. Do not under any circumstances consume foods and dishes that raise doubts about their quality or that have expired.
2. You can buy food products only from those sellers who have passed a special inspection. This requirement is especially relevant for perishable meat and dairy products.
3. Prevention of gastrointestinal infections requires strict adherence to temperature conditions when preparing food. Boiling kills pathogenic microorganisms that cause disease digestive tract.
4. Wash the shells thoroughly before breaking them. There is a high risk of finding salmonellosis pathogens on the surface of egg shells. They are easily washed off with running water.
5. In the kitchen, use individual cutting boards for raw meat and fish, for bread, and also for vegetables. These boards are placed and stored so that the products do not touch each other.
6. When working in the kitchen, thoroughly wash your hands and kitchen utensils when moving from handling one product to another.
7. Subject the mushrooms to thorough heat treatment.
8. If you are not sure about the quality of drinking water, boil it.
9. Wash and rinse raw vegetables boiled water.
10. Boil first courses at least once a day.
11. It is recommended to prepare salads with mayonnaise or sour cream immediately before serving.

Prevention of intestinal diseases in children

Children often get intestinal infections. Licking dirty hands and trying to taste everything puts babies at increased risk of getting sick. If one or two children fall ill in kindergartens, all the surrounding children and adults run the risk of catching the infection.

To prevent the development of intestinal infection, remember the following rules:

1. Teach your child from a young age to wash his hands after visiting the toilet and when returning from the street. This should be done with soap or a special cleanser.
2. Keep children's nails short to prevent dirt and germs from accumulating underneath them.
3. Prevention of intestinal infections in children is carried out both at home and in preschool and school educational institutions.

Child nutrition and infection prevention

Vegetables and fruits are served to children only after thorough washing. Also scalded with boiling water. Milk purchased in bulk at the market is boiled before use. Cottage cheese purchased by weight from private individuals should be consumed only in heat-treated form. Products are stored in closed containers or packages. After eating, perishable dishes are stored in the refrigerator.

It is important to monitor the expiration date of products and under no circumstances feed your child if the expiration date has already expired. The bread is stored in a separate plastic bag.

Keeping the house clean

Sanitary standards and rules must be carefully observed in the house. Get in the habit of immediately thoroughly washing dirty dishes and putting them away in cabinets. Try to empty trash cans and bins regularly. It is important to prevent flies from appearing. The house is maintained and kept clean. It is better to drink tap water after boiling. Compliance with the rules of hygiene in the home is a nonspecific prevention of intestinal disorders.

General principles for preventing the spread of infections

A number of rules and sanitary and hygienic standards have been developed, the observance of which prevents the development of epidemics of acute intestinal infections. These include the following activities:

1. Improving sanitary and hygienic culture among people.
2. Neutralization of foci of infection.
3. Elimination possible ways transmission of infection.
4. Increasing the body's immune defense and resistance to pathogens.

To improve the sanitary culture of the people of the country, special sanitary bulletins are issued.

Isolation of the sick person

Isolation of a patient with an acute intestinal infection is the primary measure to prevent the spread of the epidemic. Thanks to this, the development of new cases of morbidity is prevented.

If you notice signs of acute intestinal disease, consult a doctor immediately. If this is not done in a timely manner, the infection will spread further. The medical professional will conduct a thorough examination and, if necessary, suggest hospitalization. It is strictly not recommended to refuse it if you have an infectious disease. Enterofuril at rotavirus infection eliminates the pathogen and prevents the development of serious complications.

If a child has a rotavirus infection, doctors often recommend taking enterofuril to prevent a secondary bacterial infection. In early childhood, a suspension is used; after 7 years, the drug is prescribed in capsules.

It is useful to drink Polysorb for rotavirus to quickly remove pathogenic particles from the body.

Disinfection measures in the outbreak

To eliminate the source of the pathogen, final disinfection is carried out. If a sick person remains for treatment in outpatient setting– a conversation is held with relatives and it is explained how to sanitize the home and avoid infection when in contact with a sick person. Workers of the sanitary-epidemiological service carefully explain how the pathogen is eliminated in environment, and after how long the patient is released from quarantine isolation. A special table is used, which contains information on methods of diluting disinfection solutions and their concentration, as well as processing time.

Quarantine for rotavirus infection is introduced in kindergarten if the number of diseases among children exceeds the established percentage. Healthy children are examined daily by a medical professional. The question of how many days quarantine lasts is decided depending on the level of morbidity. The order on quarantine for intestinal diseases is issued for children preschool institution in accordance with medical institutions and surveillance authorities.

Diagnosis of acute bacterial infectious diseases is carried out on the basis of bacteriological examination of stool with culture for sensitivity to antimicrobial therapy.

A person who has suffered an acute intestinal infection is registered with a doctor for some time in the infectious diseases office of the clinic at his place of residence.

Eliminating hot spots of infection in public places

To prevent the outbreak of an epidemic, measures are being taken to sanitize water sources and other significant objects.

Epidemic prevention in rural areas

If we are talking about wells with drinking water located in rural areas, they are located at a remote distance from livestock and poultry farms, as well as cesspools and latrines. This will protect you from rotavirus infection or escherichiosis, a disease caused by E. coli.

The well frame is installed at least 1 meter above the soil surface. The top is tightly covered with a wooden lid. Water is collected from the well using one bucket.

It is extremely dangerous to use waste from a cesspool as fertilizer for vegetable gardens and individual garden plots. As the current intestinal sanpins say acute diseases, applying manure as fertilizer in the garden or vegetable garden is allowed only in the autumn, at least six months before the start of planting or sowing activities.

After the fertilizer has been applied, the area is plowed or carefully dug to depth. It is prohibited to grow strawberries and carrots, as well as radishes and onions on a site fertilized in this way.

Prevention in crowded places

When you are in crowded places, such as train stations or airports, it is recommended to drink boiled or filtered water. In this case, use individual utensils.

Prevention of infections in the food industry

It is important to comply with sanitary standards and rules when processing and releasing products from milk or meat and fish, as well as when selling them in the retail chain.

In catering establishments when preparing salads and meat dishes Compliance with sanitary and hygiene requirements. The correctness of the starting products and ready meals, as well as the sanitary condition of the premises.

Employees of public catering establishments who are directly involved with food and prepare food for preschool educational institutions or perform other work in educational institutions are required to regularly undergo medical examinations and undergo bacteriological tests.

Increasing immunity stability

Intestinal infections and their prevention provide for the body's resistance to the effects of pathogenic viruses and bacteria. Immunity is the body's resistance to infection, which is ensured by defense mechanisms. With their help, the body copes with the introduction of pathogenic microflora.

You can increase the body's resistance to the effects of intestinal pathogens by organizing the correct work and rest regime. In addition, a preventive measure is preventive vaccinations. However, remember that they can only be done by healthy people outside of the epidemic period. During the development of an epidemic of rotavirus infection, it is recommended to take Arbidol as a preventive measure.

People with mental work need to do dosed physical activity at the end of the working day - walking or short workouts.

Keep your diet varied but balanced. Make sure that in daily menu humans contained the necessary nutritional components and vitamins in sufficient quantities. In addition to the mandatory content of animal proteins in your diet, consume plant foods.

Preventive measures - air baths and hardening techniques. It is useful to do cool rubdowns and take cold showers every day. It is better to start hardening from scratch in the warm season. Consult your doctor first about contraindications.

Memo on preventing acute intestinal infections

Below is a reminder about how to prevent acute intestinal infections in children and adults.

The requirement for the prevention of acute intestinal infectious diseases is thorough hand washing before eating, as well as after visiting public places. After returning from the street or after visiting the toilet, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and dry thoroughly with a separate towel. To prevent infection on the street or in in public places use wet wipes for children or special disinfectants.

Compliance with these simple rules will help avoid the development of dangerous intestinal diseases. If you do get sick, do not get carried away with self-medication, but consult a doctor. The medical worker must notify the sanitary and epidemiological surveillance center about the occurrence of cases food poisoning or acute infectious diseases. The doctor will prescribe necessary examination on rotavirus and will explain whether it is necessary to go to the hospital or how to carry out treatment against rotavirus on an outpatient basis.

If a focus of intestinal infection is detected in a kindergarten or school, an emergency report is made acute pathology to the sanitary and epidemiological authorities. For parents, the kindergarten issues a health bulletin on the topic of disease prevention and other issues related to rotavirus infection in children. An experienced doctor will give useful recommendations parents on the biology of pathogens on how to protect themselves from rotavirus infection and a number of other intestinal diseases.

gastrotract.ru

Prevention of intestinal infections in children

In the summer, many children (and adults) often experience intestinal disorders caused by infection. Infection with microbes occurs due to the ingestion of contaminated fruits, vegetables, and herbs into the mouth.

How to prevent intestinal upset, and what measures exist to prevent intestinal infections in children? All intestinal infections are divided into two large groups: caused by viruses and caused by bacteria. It is widely believed that children most often suffer from intestinal infections in the summer. This is not entirely true. 90% of intestinal infections are diseases associated with viruses. Viral infections are characterized by seasonality. Most often, rotavirus infection occurs in children, the peak of which occurs in winter and spring.

Bacterial infections- this is dysentery, salmonellosis. Their heyday is summer, early autumn, and by winter their frequency decreases. Viral infections are transmitted through the fecal-oral route, through contaminated objects, poor-quality food products, and water. In a family, this is most often an intrafamily infection.

An infection that in an adult will cause a one-time loosening of stool, in a child will turn into an intestinal infection with fever, frequent loose stools, dehydration, serious condition which can lead to hospitalization. Unlike adults, who encounter viruses all the time in everyday life, children do not have immunity to these viruses.

But now we will talk about “summer” infections - dysentery, salmonellosis. These infections have a fecal-oral route of transmission. The infection enters the body through contaminated objects and hands, poorly washed fruits and berries. Or here’s another common picture that can be observed: a mother bought berries at the market and immediately gave it to her child to eat. Even if she washed them with water at the same market, the risk of infection is very high. It is recommended to thoroughly wash not only fruits, but also berries. Don’t be lazy, wash the berries well; not only helminth eggs thrive on them, but also, for example, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

How should you wash berries, such as strawberries? Place the berries in a colander in one layer. Rinse under water for 5 minutes to remove any earthen deposits from the berries. Unfortunately, such a shower is not dangerous for microbes, so you need to wash the berries using a contrast wash. In the first container, add very hot water, but not boiling water, and the second - almost ice cold. Dip a colander with strawberries into them alternately 2-3 times. You can also wash raspberries and currants.

How to properly wash fruits

All fruits with thick skins should be washed only with laundry soap or with special fruit washing products. In no case with dishwashing detergents - it is unclear how much chemicals you will eat additionally with fruit. All fruits from a store or market are covered with a layer of wax or powder. Many people's favorite snack on the street - a banana - is treated with a powder that protects it from premature spoilage. So think about what additional ingredient you or your child get by snacking on a banana on the street. Fruits with soft skin can be washed using the principle of contrast washing.

How to avoid salmonella infection

Salmonella infection occurs through low-quality food products. Most often through salads, cakes, dairy products, i.e. through everything that can become infected in the summer. Products must undergo heat treatment. If you are not sure that they are fresh, then you should not eat them.

There is another group of diseases - the so-called traveler's diarrhea, or giardiasis. The topic is especially relevant when parents take their children on foreign tours, where there are a lot of these infections. Parents do not always understand that eating outside the hotel is very dangerous. Travelers' diarrhea in children is accompanied by acute form giardiasis or viral intestinal infection, less often - bacterial infection.

What hygiene rules will help prevent intestinal infections in children?

All these rules are well known: Don't put anything in your mouth. It is clear that a small child explores the world through his mouth. This stage is called the stage of oral exploration of the world. However, the mother must understand the seriousness of the problem. If everything is available to a child, then he will, accordingly, go through everything.

General hygiene in family. You often see mothers first lick the pacifier themselves and then give it to their child. Or they try purees, a mixture, and then feed the baby from the same spoon. Or they drink water from the same bottle with the child. It is absolutely forbidden to do this! Each of us has our own flora in our mouth.

Each person must have their own dishes, cup, drinking bottle, and towel.

For older children age groups Be sure to wash your hands after walking, playing with animals, using the toilet, and before eating.

Eating food on the street is unacceptable at any age. There is no reason for a child to eat outside. Strict dietary stereotypes must be formed in the family. Children should not eat when they want and what they want. You need to eat at home or in a child care facility, but not on the street - this is an absolutely strict rule. If there are no conditions for food, then food should not be provided, no matter how the child asks. It is simply impossible to maintain hygiene any other way.

When communicating with animals, we must not forget about the basic rules: do not sit him at the table, do not kiss him, and be sure to wash your hands after playing with him. The animal itself also needs to be taught discipline: it should not interfere with a person while eating, for which it must be fed before the family goes to lunch (dinner).

Only good quality products should be used. Do not store products longer than the specified period. Carefully study where, by whom and when the product was produced. You should not cut a rotten apple and give it to a child, since bacteria and viruses penetrate deeply into the product. In other words, there must be real hygienic education. Only then can the problem be solved.

Parents must have a clear understanding that hygiene rules must be observed by all family members.

There should be no double standards. The child sees everything perfectly and will act as his parents do. No edifying and educational processes addressed only to him will be carried out. Not only the child, but all family members should wash their hands before eating. Not only the child, but all family members should not eat on the street.

When coming from the street, not only the child, but all family members should wash their hands. Not only the child, but all family members should wash their hands after using the toilet.

We need to start with education. Talk to your child about bacteria that may be on his dirty hands. Look on the Internet what, for example, lamblia looks like. Draw it together. Talk to him about how bad it will be if it gets into his body. After such an imaginative and creative explanation, the child will definitely learn the basics of personal hygiene. Read poems with your child that emphasize hygiene and a healthy lifestyle.

These are the poems of S. Marshak, Y. Tuvim, known to us from childhood, “Moidodyr” by K. Chukovsky, poems by S. Mikhalkov, etc. All ours everyday life- this is contact with a huge number of viruses and bacteria. Nature has determined that we will definitely encounter diseases. But this is not a reason to panic and wear rubber gloves, pour bleach over everything and treat it with quartz. You just need to consciously and respectfully treat your family, the people around you, and observe basic hygiene standards.

forsmallbaby.ru

Preventive measures against intestinal infections

Prevention of intestinal infections has great importance and should always be carried out. These diseases spread very easily, especially in summer. Among them, rotavirus infection is more common, which primarily affects children. Every person should know how to carry out prevention, but this issue is especially relevant for mothers who have small children.

Prevention of intestinal infection in children

Intestinal infection is caused pathogenic bacteria, viruses and protozoa. They spread over large areas, are highly contagious, and their ability to reproduce rapidly can trigger epidemic outbreaks. More than half of the registered cases of acute intestinal infections occur in childhood: the smaller the child, the higher the likelihood of getting sick.

Rotaviruses

The most common infectious agent is rotavirus. They are transmitted through household contact, water, and food. These pathogens are present everywhere, they spread very quickly, especially in the summer, often affecting children under 2 years of age.

The main reason for the spread of rotavirus infection is poor hygiene.

You can become infected with it by consuming milk, cottage cheese, kefir, unwashed fruits and vegetables and other foods. Viruses are present everywhere, even in water, so you should always practice preventative measures for intestinal infections.

Enteroviruses

Enteroviruses cause acute intestinal infections, which always begin acutely. Pathogens affect the gastrointestinal tract, causing nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Intoxication of the body leads to general weakness and an increase in body temperature.

The course of the disease depends on the state of the immune system and the type of pathogen. If treatment is not started in a timely manner, dehydration will begin, which is more dangerous than the disease itself, especially for children under 2 years of age. Dehydration can cause death. Enteroviruses can infect the kidneys, liver, cardiovascular, nervous and other organs and systems.

Everyone is susceptible to infection, regardless of age. Cases of the disease are reported throughout the year, but most are reported from June to October. Enterovirus is very persistent and can only be destroyed by direct sun rays, as well as during boiling.

The source of the causative agent of ACI is a human virus carrier. In a patient, viruses are released from the nasopharynx for up to 2 weeks (even during conversation), and from feces for even longer, sometimes it lasts several months. Children under 10 years of age are most often affected, but the majority of those affected are the smallest babies under one year of age.

Enterovirus infection often causes outbreaks in children's groups, but it can even cause epidemics over large areas, covering several countries. Therefore, the prevention of acute intestinal infections includes sanitary and epidemiological rules, the purpose of which is to prevent the appearance of acute intestinal infections, and, when a focus is identified, to prevent the infection from spreading.

When an outbreak or epidemic occurs, a message is given to the public. The main goal of all ongoing events is early detection pathogen, identification of the source and complete prevention of its spread. Mandatory isolation of all patients is carried out. Only this approach will make it possible to prevent an epidemic.

Epidemiologists have developed a special table of intestinal infections. It indicates the disease, its causative agent, and the quarantine period necessary to prevent the spread of acute respiratory infections.

It is mandatory to record and register each case of the disease, and disinfect the source of the outbreak. The source of the epidemic, the nature of the disease, and its intensity are determined.

Prevention measures

First of all, the prevention of acute intestinal infections is personal hygiene and hygiene of the digestive organs. Preventing gastrointestinal infections in this way is the most effective.

In addition, violation of food processing technology can cause ACI. Hygiene rules that cooks and teachers in preschool institutions must follow are also important.

Intestinal infections and their prevention require the following rules of prevention:

• do not consume expired products of questionable quality;
• Before cooking, be sure to wash food and eggs;
• When preparing food, you must maintain the required temperature and duration of its exposure;
• use different cutting boards and knives for raw foods;
• store food correctly;
• Regularly deworm and vaccinate pets.

You should always check the expiration date of products. If the quality of food is in doubt, it is better to refuse it. No need to buy questionable dairy, fish, meat products and eggs. These products must undergo sanitary inspection!

You should always wash your hands before preparing food. Food should also be washed. Eggs may contain salmonella on the surface, so always wash them thoroughly. In addition, it is important to thoroughly wash all kitchen utensils, and you also need to protect the premises from flies getting inside. These insects are carriers of helminth eggs.

Raw foods must undergo heat treatment; everything must be thoroughly fried and boiled. Before giving fruit to children, they are washed and then doused with boiling water.

Pets must undergo preventive treatment for worms, as well as timely vaccination.

Prevention of infection in children

Children are more likely than adults to be exposed to various diseases, so the prevention of intestinal infections in children should be a top priority. By simply following the rules of hygiene, you can protect your baby from these pathogens.

The infection enters the body in three ways:

• food route – when contaminated foods are consumed;
• waterway - drinking contaminated water;
• contact path.

Children's food is prepared using high-quality water. If a child asks to drink, he should be given boiled or bottled water. It is important to teach your child to wash his hands after using the toilet, going outside and before eating. It is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of his dishes. When giving your baby yogurt or cottage cheese, you need to check its expiration date.

It is extremely important to protect the baby from the sick eating disorder family members, because the infection is easily transmitted through contact.

Your child can only be given vegetables and fruits that have been washed, even those from which the skins are then removed (bananas, citrus fruits). There is no need to allow your baby to eat outside.

It is fundamentally important to carry out wet cleaning in the baby’s room and wash his toys as often as possible.

Prevention in kindergarten

Intestinal infections and their prevention in kindergartens are an important problem, especially in the summer. Children must be taught to wash their hands, not to put into their mouths anything that has fallen on the floor, that is, the basic rules of hygiene must be explained to them.

Prevention of acute intestinal infections in kindergartens directly depends on maintaining cleanliness, as well as on compliance with sanitary rules:

• children are placed in isolated groups;
• each group has assigned personnel;
• children are provided with individual care;
• Both children and staff must maintain hygiene;
• each group has its own dishes, toys, pots and cleaning equipment;
• each employee has his own duties and separate gowns;

The premises where children are located must be clean, so wet cleaning must be done with simultaneous ventilation, and general cleaning is carried out once a week. Mustard or mustard is used for washing dishes baking soda, as well as boiling water for rinsing it. Separate rags should be provided for cleaning tables. Wash toys with a brush and soap 2 times a day, pots after each use, and then disinfect them for 30 minutes.

All inventory is labeled and stored separately. A nurse prepares solutions for disinfection. She and the manager are responsible for compliance with sanitary rules.

Children can avoid food poisoning only if they are accustomed to cleanliness from an early age. Parents should teach this to their children; it is important to explain to them what simple tips stay healthy in the future.

It is difficult to find a person who has never had an intestinal infection. This disease quickly spreads from person to person if preventive measures are not followed, and as a result, entire families or groups become infected. Prevention of intestinal infections is mainly reduced to compliance with hygiene rules. These measures are often enough to avoid illness.

General characteristics of the disease

Acute intestinal infections, often abbreviated as OKI in medical practice, are a huge group of infectious diseases that are caused by pathogenic and conditionally harmful bacteria, viruses and some protozoa. The most common intestinal infections are dysentery, salmonellosis, cholera, rotavirus, enterovirus, as well as foodborne illness caused by staphylococcus. Diseases in this group are quite common and are second only to respiratory diseases in the number of cases of infection. The majority of cases are children from one to six years old.

Main causes of the disease

Intestinal infections most often occur due to failure to comply with basic hygiene rules or improper heat treatment of food. Infection occurs due to the following factors:

• In direct contact with a sick person.
• When using household items and utensils that were previously used by a sick person.
• When drinking raw drinking water from the tap if it has not been properly purified.
• If food was handled with dirty hands.
• When consuming low-quality or expired food.
• If hygiene in the kitchen is not observed when preparing food and storing kitchen utensils.
• If a person swallows water while swimming in open water.
• When consuming raw milk or uncooked dairy products.
• When eating undercooked meat or raw eggs.
• If a person does not wash his hands after interacting with pets or birds.

You can get an intestinal infection everywhere - in public transport, stores, various organizations and children's groups. Almost no one is safe from it. In pregnant women and young children, the disease is especially severe due to reduced immunity; the risk group also includes older people.

Insects, mainly flies, are often carriers of intestinal infections. They carry pathogens on their paws. For preventive purposes, you need to protect your home from these annoying insects.

Symptoms of diseases

Once the pathogen enters the human body, it is considered a carrier of infection. For a few more days, a person may not even suspect that he is sick and continue to communicate with many people. The incubation period can be from a couple of hours to several weeks, it all depends on the type of pathogen and the person’s immunity.

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After the incubation period, the acute phase of the disease develops, which is manifested by the following symptoms:

1. A number of pathological changes occur in the gastrointestinal tract - nausea, uncontrollable vomiting, pain in the stomach and abdomen, watery diarrhea, sometimes interspersed with blood and mucus.
2. From the central nervous system - dizziness, pain, fever, sometimes convulsions and confusion.

In especially severe cases, when infected with a certain pathogen, dehydration quickly occurs. The patient's mucous membranes become dry, the skin acquires a bluish tint and severe weakness is felt.

To prevent dehydration, which poses a danger to life, it is necessary to feed a sick person often, but in small portions. As a drink, you can give water, teas, compotes, fruit drinks and herbal decoctions.

How to prevent intestinal infections

Measures to prevent intestinal infections are quite simple, but at the same time effective. To protect yourself and your family from this unpleasant disease, you need to follow these recommendations:

• It is good to wash vegetables, fruits and berries under running water - especially those that will be eaten raw. After washing, it is advisable to rinse plant products with boiling water; under the influence of high temperatures, the majority of pathogens die.
• You need to wash your hands immediately after going outside, using the toilet, after playing with pets, and periodically throughout the day.
• Hands are washed well before starting food preparation, as well as during the cooking process, especially after cutting raw meat or fish.
• Before cooking, be sure to wash eggs with warm water and soap. Eggshells are literally teeming with the pathogen Salmonella; pathogenic microorganisms can penetrate inside eggs during long-term storage, so it is not recommended to eat them raw.
• You should not eat raw or undercooked meat, fish, or drink raw milk that was not purchased in a store.

It must be remembered that frozen meat must be completely defrosted before cooking. Due to the low temperature inside the product, the meat may not be cooked through.

• Prepared and raw foods should be stored separately from each other; in addition, different boards should be used for cutting them, which should preferably be labeled.
• Jellied meat, vinaigrette and other salads should be prepared immediately before serving; their long-term storage is unacceptable.
• It is necessary to store food in the refrigerator; low temperatures prevent the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms.
• Food must be protected from flies and other insects. For this purpose, you can purchase a special mesh cap with which to cover the plates.

Prevention of intestinal infections includes keeping your home completely clean. Kitchen rags and sponges need to be changed regularly, as they are considered a breeding ground for infection. In addition, the trash can is constantly washed with a disinfectant solution.

Particular attention is paid to the cleanliness of the bathroom. It is advisable to wash the toilet every day with the addition of chlorine or other disinfectants.

If a case of AEI is registered in a children's group

If a child falls ill in a kindergarten or school, a quarantine is introduced. Its duration depends on the type of pathogen. In this case, doctors from the sanitation station visit children's institutions and take samples from surfaces and food that children eat. During the quarantine period, new students and those children who have been absent for a long time are not accepted into the group or class. Quarantine is considered over when a certain time has passed since the last case of the disease, most often it is 2-3 weeks.

If a teacher, nanny or teacher falls ill with an acute intestinal infection, that is, those people who directly communicate with children, then quarantine is also introduced. A person can go to work not when the acute symptoms of the disease subside, but when the test results show that the pathogen is absent in the body.

All surfaces in a classroom or kindergarten group are well disinfected, toilets are washed with chlorine, and complete antiseptics are observed when preparing food. After eating, dishes are washed with soapy water and then doused with boiling water.

Intestinal infections are not uncommon; many people become infected with pathogenic microorganisms every day. With properly organized treatment, all symptoms of the disease quickly disappear, and the person recovers in a short time.