An epidemic, highly
communicable but rather
mild malady of sudden onset, caused by the
epidemic gastroenteritis virus (especially Norwalk agent), with an
incubation period of 16 to 48 hours and a
duration of 1 to 2 days, which affects all
age groups;
infection is
associated with some fever,
abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and headache, one or other of which may be predominant.
Synonym:
acute infectious nonbacterial gastroenteritis.