Context

Gastroenteritis is a very common infection that is not usually serious but can be extremely unpleasant. Infected individuals get stomach cramps accompanied by repeated bouts of diarrhea and often vomiting. There may also be fever, bloating, general discomfort and blood in the stools. The worst symptoms usually last only one to three days, after which the stools may continue to be liquid but gradually return to their normal frequency.

Most cases of gastroenteritis are caused by viruses, usually a norovirus. These viruses are highly contagious, and remain present in the stools up to two weeks after the symptoms have disappeared. 

Did you know?

Viral gastroenteritis outbreaks occur every year in the Montréal region, as they do in the rest of Québec.

• Most outbreaks are caused by noroviruses, which are easy to transmit from one person to another.
• The yearly norovirus outbreaks tend to occur during the fall and winter, peaking around January.
• These outbreaks can affect healthcare and educational environments as well as child care and food service facilities.
• Prevention of these infections consists of proper hand-washing and careful disinfection of contaminated environments.
• There is no vaccine against norovirus infections.

Target population

Even if gastroenteritis infections are generally considered benign, elderly people and patients in hospitals and residential and long-term care facilities who have chronic diseases (e.g. diabetes or heart, lung or kidney disease) are more likely to get seriously ill and are at higher risk of hospitalization, complications or death.

Practical advice

What can you do to prevent or protect yourself?

See our Gastroenteritis FAQ to learn more about the subject.

 Whom should you contact to get help? 

Contact Info-Santé at 811 or see a doctor. 

Where can you find additional, credible information?

Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) – Noroviruses - Fact Sheet
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)