Is Infectious Colitis Contagious?
Colon Inflammation From Bacterial, Viral, or Parasitic Infections
Medically reviewed by Robert Burakoff, MD
Infectious colitis is a contagious form of colitis. "Colitis" is a broad term that describes inflammation of the lining of your colon. This type of colitis can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, or protozoa.
Infectious colitis is often passed to humans due to eating ingesting food or water. Symptoms that include frequent bowel movements and bloody stools often occur as acute problems.
Most people can be treated at home. Problems caused by bacteria may need antibiotics to clear the germs. Symptoms can become severe for people with weakened immune systems.
This article describes infectious colitis, its causes, and how it is passed to humans. It also explains treatments, the length of sickness, and ways to prevent it.
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Infectious Colitis vs. Ulcerative Colitis
While infectious colitis and ulcerative colitis both cause inflammation of the colon and have overlapping symptoms, they are two distinct conditions that differ in the following ways:
Infectious colitis is a short-term condition caused by germs. It can be resolved with dietary changes and medications.
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It causes inflammation and ulcers (sores) along your digestive tract, beginning in your rectum and extending to parts or all of your colon. While medication can reduce inflammation and symptoms, the only cure involves surgical removal of the affected areas of your colon and rectum.
Contagious Strains of Infectious Colitis
Contagious strains of infectious colitis are caused by microscopic pathogens (microorganisms that can cause disease to a host) categorized as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or protozoa.
Bacteria
Most cases of infectious colitis are caused by bacterial pathogens that contaminate food or water. When you consume the contaminated items, the bacteria invade the lining of your gut and trigger inflammation.
Clostridioides difficile (C. diff)
Yersinia
Aeromonas
Viruses
Viruses are the smallest type of germ, making them the easiest to contract. They are easily spread by airborne transmission when an infected person sneezes or coughs. The viruses that cause infectious colitis include:
Fungi
Fungi are multicelled, plant-like organisms. You can develop fungal infectious colitis after breathing in airborne microscopic fungal spores. Fungi are most dangerous to people with a weakened immune system. A common cause of fungal infectious colitis is Histoplasma.
Protozoa
Protozoa are one-celled parasites that are bigger than bacteria. They typically spread when they are consumed in contaminated water or food. A common cause of protozoan infectious colitis is Entamoeba histolytica.
Learn More: Viral vs. Bacterial Infection: What’s the Difference?
Infectious Colitis Transmission
Infectious colitis transmission can easily occur. The germs that cause infectious colitis are easily spread through several pathways, including the following:
Oral ingestion of food or water contaminated by sewage or a food handler with infectious colitis
Direct contact with the vomit or feces of an infected person
Contact with an object, clothing, utensils, or surface contaminated with the germs of an infected person
Contact with airborne particles generated from vomiting and diarrhea
Infectious Colitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections
When infectious colitis is tied to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), research indicates that the disease occurs more often in men who have sex with men, especially among people who are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis can be involved.
Colitis Incubation and Start of Symptoms
The colitis incubation period (the time it takes for symptoms to develop after exposure to an infectious agent) differs based on the pathogen involved. In most cases, it takes time for the pathogen to make you feel sick enough to have symptoms.
Incubation periods for common infectious colitis pathogens include:
E. coli: Six to 48 hours; can be up to 10 days
Salmonella: Six to 48 hours; can be up to 10 days
Campylobacter: Two to five days; can be up to 10 days
Shigella: Two to four days; can be 12 hours to six days
Yersinia: Four to six days; can be one to 10 days
Aeromonas: One to two days
Clostridioides difficile (C. diff): Five to 10 days; can be one day to weeks
Cytomegalovirus (CMV): Three to 12 weeks
Adenovirus: Five to six days; can be two days to two weeks
Norovirus: 12 to 48 hours
Rotavirus: Two days
Histoplasma: Three to 17 days
Entamoeba histolytica: Two to four weeks
Symptoms of infectious colitis can vary based on the source of your illness. Other factors, such as your age and general health, can also affect your reaction. The following groups of people are more likely to get sick and have serious reactions:
Children younger than age 5
Adults age 65 and older
People with compromised immune systems
Pregnant women
Common symptoms of infectious colitis include:
Bloating and abdominal pain or tenderness that may occur constantly or come and go
Abdominal cramping
Tenesmus (constant urgency to have a bowel movement even if your bowels are empty)
Bloody or mucus-filled stools
Vomiting
Loss of appetite and unintended weight loss
Contact your healthcare provider if you have any of the following symptoms:
Abdominal pain that persists and does not improve
Bloody stools or stools that have a black color
Diarrhea that persists and does not improve
Swollen abdomen
Learn More: Symptoms of Colitis
Treatment for Contagious Infectious Colitis
Infectious colitis treatment varies based on the pathogen causing the disease and the person affected. In otherwise healthy people, treatment involves relieving symptoms. Age, general health, and other underlying conditions can affect your needed treatment.
Initial treatment for infectious colitis typically involves the following:
Rest
Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, such as Tylenol (acetaminophen)
Limit to a 24-hour clear-liquid diet
The most important treatment for infectious colitis is to maintain adequate hydration. This can be accomplished by drinking water and oral rehydration drinks to replenish electrolytes. If you have severe dehydration, you may require intravenous (IV) fluids.
Based on your condition and the severity of your symptoms, treatment may also include the following:
Imodium (loperamide): An OTC medication that relieves diarrhea symptoms by slowing the speed and number of intestinal contractions
Antibiotics: Medications to fight bacterial infections when the source of your infectious colitis is bacteria
Antifungals: Medications to treat fungal infections when fungi are the source of your infectious colitis
Learn More: How Colitis Is Treated
When Are You No Longer Contagious With Colitis?
The amount of time you remain contagious with colitis varies by individual and the type of pathogen causing your illness.
While you can be contagious before and long after you have symptoms of infectious colitis, you are likely to be most infectious when symptoms are most severe, usually during the second and third days of your illness. However, viruses can remain contagious for up to three weeks after your symptoms start.
Bacterial infections treated with antibiotics for colitis can remain infectious for 48 hours to 14 days after you begin treatment based on how long your body takes to absorb them.
If you've had a recent illness, you can reduce the risk of spreading it to others by taking the following precautions, especially when interacting with children and the elderly:
Avoid physical contact.
Avoid preparing food for others.
Practice frequent handwashing.
Cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough.
Avoid touching public surfaces.
Consult with your healthcare provider for advice on how long you may be contagious based on your condition and treatment.
Limiting Colitis Contagiousness
Limiting colitis contagiousness includes the following strategies to prevent your exposure to pathogens likely to cause this disease:
Always wash your hands before cleaning or cooking food. Rewash them after touching raw meat.
Thoroughly clean utensils, cutting boards, dishes, and surfaces that have come in contact with raw meat, fish, poultry, or eggs.
Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other uncooked foods in your shopping cart and refrigerator.
Use a food thermometer to cook meats to the temperature recommended to prevent food poisoning. Recommended cooking temperatures include:
Poultry: Cook to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
Whole meats (roasts, chops, and steak): Cook to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F with a three-minute rest time.
Ground meat (hamburgers and sausage): Cook to a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
Maintain a temperature of 40 degrees F or lower in your refrigerator. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of cooking or one hour if food is exposed to a temperature above 90 degrees F, like in a hot tray.
Wash your hands before eating food. Avoid close contact with people who have a known bowel infection.
When traveling to areas that may have unclean water and unsafe food handling, take the following precautions:
Use only bottled water for drinking and brushing your teeth.
Avoid putting ice in your drinks.
Restrict your prepared-food choices to those that are served steaming hot.
When traveling, avoid foods that contain raw/undercooked foods, peeled fruit, salads, unpasteurized milk or milk products, and foods prepared at roadside stalls.
Learn More: What Causes Food Poisoning?
Summary
Infectious colitis is a contagious form of colitis. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, or protozoa, often spread when you consume infected food or water.
Symptoms can include diarrhea, fever, and bloody stools. The problem typically resolves on its own in healthy people. However, it can cause severe symptoms in children, older people, and anyone with a weakened immune system.
Finding the cause of the illness can help you get the right treatment. Most cases improve with hydration, rest, and a clean diet. When bacteria cause the illness, you may need antibiotics to clear your symptoms.
You can reduce your risk of getting and spreading this illness. Practice safe food handling and frequent handwashing. If you become sick, limit your contact with others until your healthcare provider advises you can no longer spread the disease.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
