Queen Elizabeth II hospitalized with gastroenteritis
The Queen of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II, has been hospitalized experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis, according to Buckingham Palace.
Queen Elizabeth II
Image/CNN Video Screen Shot
The 86-year-old monarch is being examined at London’s King Edward VII Hospital as a “precautionary measure”. She is expected to be admitted for at least two days.
This is the first time the Queen has been hospitalized in a decade, the last time being 2003.
A planned 2-day trip to Rome and all other engagements for a week are cancelled or postponed. According to the Washington Post, the trip may be “reinstated” at a later date.
Gastroenteritis means inflammation of the stomach and small and large intestines. Viral gastroenteritis is an infection caused by a variety of viruses that results in vomiting or diarrhea. It is often called the “stomach flu,” although it is not caused by the influenza viruses, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Washington Post also reports that a doctor not involved in the queen’s treatment said that if medical officials determined she had lost too much fluid, she could be rehydrated intravenously.
Many different viruses can cause gastroenteritis, including rotaviruses, noroviruses and adenoviruses.
According to the British Health Protection Agency (HPA), Norovirus is the most common cause of infectious gastroenteritis (diarrhoea and vomiting) in England and Wales. The illness is generally mild and people usually recover fully within 2-3 days.
Britain: More than 1 million sickened with norovirus
