Jagirdhar GSK, Pulakurthi YS, Chigurupati HD, Surani S. Gastrointestinal tract and viral pathogens. World J Virol 2023; 12(3): 136-150 [PMID: 37396706 DOI: 10.5501/wjv.v12.i3.136]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Salim Surani, FCCP, MD, MHSc, Professor, Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Texas A&M University, Administration Building, 400 Bizzell Street, College Station, TX 77843, United States. srsurani@hotmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Infectious Diseases
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Virol. Jun 25, 2023; 12(3): 136-150 Published online Jun 25, 2023. doi: 10.5501/wjv.v12.i3.136
Gastrointestinal tract and viral pathogens
Gowthami Sai Kogilathota Jagirdhar, Yashwitha Sai Pulakurthi, Himaja Dutt Chigurupati, Salim Surani
Gowthami Sai Kogilathota Jagirdhar, Yashwitha Sai Pulakurthi, Himaja Dutt Chigurupati, Internal Medicine, Saint Michael Medical Center, Newark, NJ 07102, United States
Salim Surani, Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
Author contributions: Jagirdhar GSK, Pulakurthi YS, and Chigurupati HD contributed to literature review and write the original manuscript; Surani S wrote the original manuscript, revised the paper, and approved the final version.
Conflict-of-interest statement: None of the authors have any conflict of interest to disclose.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Salim Surani, FCCP, MD, MHSc, Professor, Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Texas A&M University, Administration Building, 400 Bizzell Street, College Station, TX 77843, United States. srsurani@hotmail.com
Received: December 7, 2022 Peer-review started: December 7, 2022 First decision: March 1, 2023 Revised: March 17, 2023 Accepted: April 27, 2023 Article in press: April 27, 2023 Published online: June 25, 2023 Processing time: 195 Days and 20.7 Hours
Abstract
Viral gastroenteritis is the most common viral illness that affects the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, causing inflammation and irritation of the lining of the stomach and intestines. Common signs and symptoms associated with this condition include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and dehydration. The infections commonly involved in viral gastroenteritis are rotavirus, norovirus, and adenovirus, which spread through the fecal-oral and contact routes and cause non-bloody diarrhea. These infections can affect both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Since the pandemic in 2019, coronavirus gastroenteritis has increased in incidence and prevalence. Morbidity and mortality rates from viral gastroenteritis have declined significantly over the years due to early recognition, treatment with oral rehydration salts, and prompt vaccination. Improved sanitation measures have also played a key role in reducing the transmission of infection. In addition to viral hepatitis causing liver disease, herpes virus, and cytomegalovirus are responsible for ulcerative GI disease. They are associated with bloody diarrhea and commonly occur in im-munocompromised individuals. Hepatitis viruses, Epstein-Barr virus, herpesvirus 8, and human papillomavirus have been involved in benign and malignant diseases. This mini review aims to list different viruses affecting the GI tract. It will cover common symptoms aiding in diagnosis and various important aspects of each viral infection that can aid diagnosis and management. This will help primary care physicians and hospitalists diagnose and treat patients more easily.
Core Tip: Viral gastroenteritis is a common condition that affects the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. These viruses can affect people of all ages and are a significant public health concern. Dehydration resulting from the infection is the primary reason for emergency department visits in both children and adults. Our review discusses other GI viruses such as cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, and hepatitis virus that cause manifestations such as hepatitis, gastritis, and bloody diarrhea. Both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals can be affected by these GI viral pathogens. Understanding the various viruses that cause GI manifestations can help with early diagnosis and appropriate management. This is a concise review of GI viral pathogens.
