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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffGastroenteritis occurs all over the world, affecting people of every age, race and background.
People who may be more susceptible to gastroenteritis include:
- Young children. Children in child care centers or elementary schools may be especially vulnerable because it takes time for a child's immune system to mature.
- Older adults. Adult immune systems tend to become less efficient later in life. Older adults in nursing homes, in particular, are vulnerable because their immune systems weaken and they live in close contact with others who may pass along germs.
- Schoolchildren, churchgoers or dormitory residents. Anywhere that groups of people come together in close quarters can be an environment for an intestinal infection to get passed along — and flourish.
- Anyone with a weakened immune system. If your resistance to infection is low — for instance, if your immune system is compromised by HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy or another medical condition — you may be especially at risk.
Each gastrointestinal virus has a season when it's most active. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, for instance, you're more likely to have rotavirus or norovirus infections between October and April.
- Parashar UD, et al. Viral gastroenteritis. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Online. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=2895854. Accessed May 18, 2011.
- Viral gastroenteritis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/gastro/faq.htm. Accessed May 18, 2011.
- Bresee J. Viral gastroenteritis. In: Long SS, et al. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 3rd ed. New York, N.Y.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/linkTo?type=bookPage&isbn=978-0-7020-3468-8&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7020-3468-8..50066-3. Accessed May 18, 2011.
- Viral gastroenteritis. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/viralgastroenteritis/index.htm. Accessed May 18, 2011.
- Rotavirus: Clinical disease information. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/rotavirus/about_rotavirus.htm. Accessed May 18, 2011.
- Norovirus: Q&A. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/gastro/norovirus-qa.htm. Accessed April 15, 2009.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Updated norovirus outbreak management and disease prevention guidelines. MMWR. 2011;60:1. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr6003a1.htm?s_cid=rr6003a1_e. Accessed May 18, 2011.
- Kapikian AZ. Rotaviruses, noroviruses, and other gastrointestinal viruses. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/linkTo?type=bookPage&isbn=978-1-4160-2805-5&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50408-0. Accessed May 18, 2011.
- Vomiting. Nemours Foundation. http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/vomit.html. Accessed May 18, 2011.
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