1. Cause of Stomach Flu
First of all, the stomach flu should not be mistaken for the common flu. Both are caused by a virus, but other than that, they are very different. The common flu (aka real flu or influenza) will affect the respiratory system (i.e. nose, throat, and lungs), and thus commonly be evident with respiratory signs and symptoms, like coughs and colds. The common flu will not normally have a direct effect on the digestive tract (although the mucus from the cough and colds will sometimes irritate the stomach, and cause diarrhea).
Stomach flu, or viral gastroenteritis, is caused by one or a combination of several different virus strains that infect the digestive system. The most common of the viruses causing stomach flu would be the norovirus. The norovirus is responsible for most of the cases of viral gastroenteritis in the United States of America.
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