Gastrointestinal Diseases and Their Prevention

Gastrointestinal diseases are diverse and have various causes. Some intestinal diseases are contagious and can be transmitted through drinking water or food. It is essential to understand the transmission routes and causes of intestinal infectious diseases and take preventative measures to avoid contracting them. So, what causes intestinal infectious diseases? Let's explore below.

Causes of Intestinal Infectious Diseases

The intestine refers to the large and small intestines, which are part of the human digestive system. If our daily drinking water and food are contaminated by pathogens, these contaminated water and food will enter the intestine through the mouth. The pathogens multiply and release toxins in the intestine, damaging the intestinal mucosa and causing intestinal dysfunction and impairment, severely affecting physical health. Once infected, patients excrete pathogens in their feces, which can contaminate others. Such infectious diseases are intestinal infectious diseases.

Intestinal infectious diseases include bacterial dysentery, typhoid, paratyphoid, cholera, para-cholera, and food poisoning caused by bacteria; amebiasis caused by Amoeba protozoa; and viral hepatitis and poliomyelitis caused by related viruses.

Transmission Routes of Intestinal Infectious Diseases

1. Waterborne Transmission: The feces and vomit of patients or pathogen carriers can contaminate water sources, and washing clothes, utensils, and hands contaminated by pathogens can also contaminate water. Contaminated water sources can cause outbreaks of intestinal infectious diseases. Cholera, typhoid, and bacillary dysentery are known as the three major waterborne diseases.

2. Foodborne Transmission: There is a risk of food contamination by pathogens during production, processing, transportation, storage, and sale. Pathogens in food can come from storage containers, eating utensils, hand contact, the use of manure, and insect contamination.

3. Contact Transmission: Pathogens can be transmitted and spread through handshakes, using or touching clothing, stationery, door handles, money, etc.

4. Insect Transmission: Insects such as flies and cockroaches can mechanically carry pathogens, and some pathogens can survive and even multiply in the intestines of insects. Active insects such as flies and cockroaches are also important causes of the spread of intestinal infectious diseases.

Prevention Measures for Intestinal Infectious Diseases

1. Actively carry out patriotic hygiene campaigns, strengthen hygiene management of feces, garbage, and sewage, and mobilize the masses to carry out campaigns to eliminate the four pests.

2. Emphasize personal hygiene and develop the habit of washing hands before and after eating. Regularly trim nails and change clothes.

3. Strictly control the quality of food purchased by canteens and households. Do not purchase spoiled poultry, eggs, meat, and aquatic products just to save money.

4. Do not drink unboiled water. Cook vegetables thoroughly. Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator overnight and reheated before consumption.

5. When purchasing vegetables that are prone to insects, pay attention to their freshness and absence of insect holes. Check whether pesticides have been used. After removing yellow leaves, soak the vegetables in water for more than half an hour, changing the water 2-3 times, and then cook them.

6. Separate raw and cooked food when storing or processing food.

7. It is best not to eat at roadside stalls or purchase unlicensed take-out meals. Avoid organizing large gatherings.

8. Do not consume food that appears unusual or has an unusual odor, even if it is boiled.

9. Regularly boil and disinfect tableware such as bowls and chopsticks.

10. Seek medical attention promptly if symptoms of intestinal infectious diseases appear. If family members experience food poisoning at the same time, report to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention while seeking medical attention.

In summary, the nine-character mantra for preventing intestinal infectious diseases is: eat cooked food, drink boiled water, and wash hands frequently.