The Full form of AGE is Acute Gastroenteritis. AGE is an intestinal infection marked by watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, nausea, and sometimes fever. When a person has diarrhea and vomiting, he may say he have the “stomach flu.” These symptoms often are due to a condition called Gastroenteritis. With Gastroenteritis, your stomach and intestines are inflamed and irritated. The cause is typically a viral or bacterial infection. The most common way to develop Acute or Viral Gastroenteritis (often called stomach flu) is by ingesting contaminated food or water or through contact with an infected person. If you’re otherwise healthy, you’ll likely recover without complications. But for infants, children, older adults and people with compromised immune systems, viral gastroenteritis can be deadly. There’s no effective treatment in medical field for viral gastroenteritis, so prevention is key. In addition to avoiding food and water that may be contaminated, thorough and frequent hand-washings are your best defense. Although AGE is commonly called stomach flu, it isn’t the same as influenza. Influenza (Real Flu) affects only your respiratory system — your nose, throat and lungs. Acute Gastroenteritis, on the other hand, attacks your intestines, causing signs and symptoms, such as abdominal cramps and pain, Nausea, vomiting or both, Watery, usually non-bloody diarrhea.