Intestinal infection may not threaten your life directly, as proper handling of the illness can help you recover within days. However, you might be concerned about how contagious the disease can be, concerning most of the diseases triggered by bacterial or viral infection are contagious.

How contagious is intestinal infection?

In adults, intestinal infection is caused by variety of risk factors. These factors include some non-contagious disease, such as diabetes mellitus, and hence, people are often wondering whether or not this infection contagious and transmittable. In fact, intestinal infection is contagious, although you might experience it from the non-contagious diseases. It is because the bacteria causing intestinal infection can be easily passed and spread from one person to another.

How intestinal infection is transmitted

Some ways which make it is possible for you to catch the infection include:

• Close contact with people with intestinal infection. This contact include hand to hand contact—there might still be some bacteria left on the hands as a result of poor hand washing and cleaning technique, breathing contact—there might still be small vomit particles being breathed out, and close air contact—coughing or sneezing out causal bacteria can possibly transmit this bacteria from one person to another.
• Direct contact with any contaminated objects or surfaces. There are objects that can possibly be contaminated with bacteria causing intestinal infection. Exchanging towels or clothes with an infected person may put you in a greater risk of having similar infection.
• Consuming contaminated foods and water. There are several ways foods and water can be contaminated with bacteria causing intestinal infection, such as:
  • It is touched by an infected person who do not wash the hands properly before taking some foods. This direct touch may spread infesting bacteria from the hands to the entire foods.
  • The foods and water are derived from plantation or source that have been contaminated with bacteria. In some cases, chickens are infected with Salmonella and thus, if it is not fully cooked, the bacteria will be transmitted to human eating it.
• Poor hygiene. Hygiene plays an important role in intestinal infection transmission. It is crucially important to flush any stool and vomit thoroughly, since it is where the causal bacteria are residing. Foods that are cooked with poor cooking hygiene are also susceptible for bacterial infestation that may cause intestinal infection in both adults, children, and even infants.
• Weakened immune system. Intestinal infection, similar to other types of bacterial infections, can be easily transmitted from one person to another person with weakened immune system. Hence, if you are experiencing other illnesses that decrease your body’s ability to defend itself, such as the flu and diabetes, you are more susceptible to have transmitted intestinal infection.

Preventing intestinal infection transmission

There are some things that can be done in order to prevent intestinal infection transmission. These are important, especially if you are living around small children. Intestinal infection may not be fatal for adults, but can be quite a concern in those children. Do these to minimize the risk of transmitting the disease:

• Avoid direct contact with any infected person or a person showing the symptoms. If you are suffering from the disease, it is important to wear face mask to avoid passing the bacteria to other people, especially children.
• Avoid consuming half-cooked or raw foods and unpasteurized milk. Be really careful in giving milk to children. Make sure it is pasteurized well.
• Avoid exchanging towels, linens, and clothing.
• Practice proper hygiene by always wash the hands before and after eating, going to the bathroom, and cooking. Make sure your bathroom and kitchen are well-sanitized by flushing well and separating uncooked foods from the cooked ones. This will prevent bacteria from uncooked foods to be transmitted into the cooked ones.
• Take a day off from the office if you are noticing some symptoms related to intestinal infection. Treat it well before you are coming back to the public places.