Duration of symptoms
The duration of the symptoms of gastroenteritis depends on the pathogen behind the disease. Although a viral infection with noro- or rotaviruses is relatively severe, the symptoms usually disappear completely after a few days. Salmonellae are bacteria that are usually ingested with food.
After a short incubation period of a few hours, a Salmonella infection causes very severe symptoms that last for several days. However, even weeks after the infection, bacteria that are potentially infectious are still excreted with the stool. An infection of the gastrointestinal tract with Escherichia coli (E. coli) usually lasts two to eight days, after which the symptoms should have subsided.
Usually nausea and vomiting are the first symptoms to appear and subside first. The vomiting usually lasts no longer than one to a maximum of three days. The diarrhea is more persistent and lasts for a longer time, but should have disappeared completely after two weeks at the latest.
