TYLER, Texas — A concerning health alert is emerging as a stomach virus rapidly spreads across the state of Texas, impacting dozens of people.
The severity of the illness has led some school districts, including two in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, to make the decision to cancel classes.
"There are a lot of viruses that can give you that infection. Most commonly, it's adenovirus. But, ever since COVID, primarily it's a respiratory illness, but it can also give you gastrointestinal symptoms. It can give you vomiting. It can give you diarrhea," said Dr. Muhammad Bilal Majeed, a gastroenterology and hepatology specialist at UT Health East Texas.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasizes stomach bugs like adenovirus and norovirus can spread through direct contact with infected people, contaminated food or water and highly touched surfaces.
If individuals find themselves suffering from the stomach virus, medical experts recommend prioritizing rest and rehydration.
"What you need to do is support your body in that time. And support means getting yourself well-hydrated and giving yourself nutrition," Majeed said.
While symptoms should improve within five to seven days, any persistence or worsening of symptoms should prompt people to seek immediate medical attention.
Some of the most common symptoms include:
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Stomach cramping
- Headache
- Fever
"That’s your reason to go to your doctor and talk about these issues. Some patients do need to be admitted for these issues as well," Majeed said.
Majeed added one of the best preventive measures against contracting a stomach virus is to take probiotics daily.