Acute Gastroenteritis: Stomach Flu on Holiday
Gastroenteritis is inflammation of the stomach and intestines, usually viral, causing vomiting and diarrhoea. It is highly contagious and usually settles within two to five days. Treatment is fluids and rest; the danger is dehydration, especially in children and older adults.
What it is
Where food poisoning comes from something you ate, gastroenteritis is more often passed from person to person — norovirus and rotavirus spread very efficiently in hotels, water parks and around pools. One case in a family usually becomes several.
It begins abruptly, often with vomiting first and diarrhoea following, and is generally self-limiting. The mistake people make is not drinking because drinking makes them vomit — which is exactly how a two-day illness turns into a hospital admission.
Symptoms
- Sudden watery diarrhoea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Cramping abdominal pain
- Mild fever, headache and aching limbs
- Loss of appetite and marked weakness
Clinic hours: 09:00–19:00, seven days a week
House calls: 24/7
How to manage it
- Small sips, constantly. Five to ten millilitres every few minutes. A teaspoon at a time for a small child. Oral rehydration salts are far better than water, cola or sports drinks.
- Do not stop feeding a child. Continue breastfeeding or formula, and offer normal food once vomiting has stopped.
- Keep the patient separate where you can — separate towels, and wash hands with soap and water. Alcohol gel does not kill norovirus.
- Do not go back in the pool for 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea.
When to call a doctor
- No urine for eight hours in an adult, or six hours in a small child
- Persistent vomiting for more than 24 hours, or any fluid refusal in a small child
- Blood in the stool or vomit
- Fever above 38.5 °C lasting more than two days
- Severe, constant abdominal pain, or pain concentrated in the lower right abdomen
- Confusion, extreme drowsiness or floppiness in a child
- Symptoms lasting longer than five days
112 is the emergency number in Turkey — free from any phone, answered in English.
Prevention
How to avoid it
- Wash hands with soap and water after the toilet and before eating
- Keep an ill family member's towels and cutlery separate
- Stay out of pools for 48 hours after diarrhoea stops
- Clean contaminated surfaces with a bleach-based cleaner
What we do
Getting seen in Alanya
Oguzhan Care sees this at the clinic in Oba and on house calls to hotels and apartments across Alanya, 24 hours a day. The doctor examines you, treats what can be treated on the spot, and writes the report your insurer will want.
FAQ
Acute Gastroenteritis: common questions
Very. Viral gastroenteritis spreads through tiny amounts of vomit or stool on hands and surfaces, and someone remains infectious for at least 48 hours after symptoms stop.
Clinically they overlap and the treatment is nearly identical. Gastroenteritis is usually caught from another person; food poisoning comes from contaminated food. If several people who ate different meals fall ill, it is likely a virus.
In a healthy adult without fever or blood in the stool, loperamide can help you survive a flight. It is not suitable for children, and not if there is a high fever or blood.
Most hotels and clubs require 48 hours clear of vomiting and diarrhoea. That rule exists for good reason.
Read next
Related pages
Medical disclaimer. This page is general health information, not a diagnosis and not a substitute for a consultation. If someone is unconscious, struggling to breathe, bleeding heavily or having chest pain, call 112 — the Turkish emergency number — immediately.
Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Oğuzhan Özkan, physician, Alanya. Last reviewed: 11 August 2026.
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