Ah, the so-called stomach flu. If ever a term needed to be retired, this one is it.
There really is no such thing as a flu of the stomach.
Colds and flu viruses infect the respiratory tract, with the viruses taking up residence at the top of the throat. If you’re vomiting, you probably don’t have the flu; you either have food poisoning or a stomach bug — more technically, gastroenteritis.
Gastroenteritis is usually caused by nor viruses or rotavirus, which are not related to influenza viruses. Children are a little different. Kids with the flu often have nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. But that doesn’t mean the flu has travelled to their stomach, because it simply can’t do that. So, let’s ditch the term “stomach flu” and go with “stomach bug” – a more accurate term that’s less confusing for all of us.