Gastroenteritis (gastro) by the Royal Children's Hospital

Gastroenteritis (gastro) is a bowel infection that causes diarrhoea (runny, watery poo) and sometimes vomiting.The vomiting may settle quickly, but the diarrhoea can last up to 10 days. Gastro can be caused by many different germs, although the most common cause of gastro is a viral infection. Most children do not need to take any medicine for gastro; however, they must drink plenty of water to avoid becoming dehydrated.