Gastroenteritis is on the rise in Martinique. According to the last bulletin of the Antilles Regional Cell of Public Health (published on Thursday January 16, 2020), the passage in epidemic could be declared in the weeks to come.
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Calls to SOS Doctors have increased in the past four weeks. The number of home visits increased from 37 to 96 per week.
According to the Sentinelles network of doctors, the number of evocative cases in town medicine increased sharply from 445 to 1,135, with an average of 710 cases observed per week.
The number of cases clinically suggestive of acute gastroenteritis is above the maximum values. 2,800 people consulted a general practitioner throughout Martinique.
The epidemiological point of gastroenteritis
Prevention of acute gastroenteritis
Acute gastroenteritis in this season is mostly of viral origin.
They manifest themselves, after an incubation period varying from 24 to 72 hours, by diarrhea and vomiting which can be accompanied by nausea, abdominal pain and sometimes fever.
The duration of the disease is generally short, on the order of a few days.
The main complication is acute dehydration, which most often occurs at the extreme ages of life (infants and the elderly).
Certain viruses (rotavirus and norovirus) are very resistant in the environment and present on surfaces.
This is why it is important to clean carefully and regularly the places at high risk of transmission (pediatric services, institutions welcoming the elderly).
Hand washing is one of the most effective ways to limit the spread of germs, and therefore the spread of the disease.
This simple gesture should be done several times a day, even more so when caring for children and the elderly, who are more vulnerable.
It is imperative to wash your hands:
– Before taking care of a baby and after having changed it
– After taking care of a sick person
– Before preparing, serving or taking meals
– After going to the bathroom.
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