Gastroenteritis, 'gastro', 'a stomach bug' or 'stomach flu', are used to refer to a bowel infection that causes diarrhoea and sometimes vomiting and fever. Although everyone is at risk, children younger than five years are more likely to get gastro.

The most common culprit in young children, particularly in the winter months, is called rotavirus.

The main source of infection is contact with faeces (poo) from an infected child or adult. Infected children will have rotavirus in their faeces for up to a week after infection.

Rotavirus is a virus that was only identified in 1973 – however, it is now known to be the most common cause of severe diarrhoea in young children. Up to half of all cases of severe gastro in young children which need hospital treatment, are due to rotavirus.

Symptoms