10 Stomach Flu Symptoms
Symptom #9: Weight Loss
The stomach flu can cause weight loss. The degree of weight loss can be related to the duration of the diarrhea and dehydration. In children, recent weight loss can be a good indicator of the degree of dehydration (or fluids lost), but this information is rarely available.
Another cause of stomach flu is giardiasis, a parasitic (protozoal) intestinal infection caused by Giardia intestinalis. Infection is more common in children than in adults, and it can be asymptomatic, acute or chronic. It can cause intestinal malabsorption with diarrhea, anorexia, malaise and weight loss. In adults, weight loss occurs in more than half of patients and averages 10 pounds. In chronic illness adults may present with long-standing malabsorption syndrome and children, with malnutrition and failure to thrive. Bacterial chronic gastroenteritis can also be a cause of these symptoms.
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