Other Gastrointestinal Infections

Occasionally other micro-organisms may cause symptoms of GI Disease, this is particularly true in immunocompromised patients and those with pre-existing GI Disease, where a virus called cytomegalovirus (CMV) may cause bloody diarrhoea, or inflammation within the oesophagus. Herpes viruses may also cause oesophageal inflammation. Such infections within the oesophagus may cause odynophagia and diffculty with swallowing.

Symptoms of bloody diarrhoea are similar to those experienced in ulcerative or Crohn’s colitis and it is important that CMV is excluded in patients who have these diagnoses and present with bloody diarrhoea.