There are a variety of ways to prevent gastroenteritis. Washing hands thoroughly, especially before eating and after a bowel movement, will help prevent the transmission of viral gastroenteritis (which is spread from person to person). Soiled clothing should be washed with detergent and bleach.

There are numerous ways to prevent gastroenteritis that is spread through contaminated food. They include:

• Store food that spoils easily, such as meat and dairy products, in the freezer or the coldest parts of the refrigerator.
  
  
• Wash hands both before and after preparing food.
  
  
• Use separate cutting boards for meat and vegetables when preparing food.
  
  
• Meat, poultry and eggs should be cooked properly before eating. Leftovers should be wrapped and stored in the refrigerator within two hours.
  
  
• When traveling to areas with poor sanitation, drink only  bottled water or carbonated soft drinks and avoid using ice in beverages.
  
  
• Exercise caution when using public spas, swimming pools and other recreational bathing facilities, which may harbor parasites and protozoans that can cause gastroenteritis. The World Health Organization recently launched the first international guidelines on how to create safe facilities for bathing and swimming.
  

Research continues into additional ways to treat and prevent gastroenteritis. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new vaccine to prevent rotavirus gastroenteritis in infants.