Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is infectious diarrhea?
A. Infectious diarrhea is an alteration of normal bowel habits, usually characterized by increased stool frequency and liquid consistency, which is caused by infectious bacteria, viruses or protozoa that infect the intestinal tracts of humans and animals. The infectious organisms are normally contracted by ingestion of contaminated water or food. Some of the more well-known organisms causing infectious diarrhea include Campylobacter, enterotoxigenic or Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Clostridium, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Cyclospora and rotavirus.
Q. How common are infectious diarrheal diseases?
A. Infectious diarrheal diseases are the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. There are 3.1 million deaths worldwide due to diarrhea per year (more than 8,400 per day), mostly among children in developing areas. In the United States, an estimated 211- 357 million episodes of diarrheal illness occur each year resulting in 73 million physician consultations, 1.8 million hospitalizations and 3,100 deaths. The CDC issued a new study November 22, 2002 reporting that outbreaks of waterborne illnesses roughly doubled in the U.S. in a three-year period ending in 2000. Studies have shown that approximately 20 percent of children in the United States are exposed to Cryptosporidium by age 5-7 years. Approximately 9% of all hospitalizations of children younger than 5 years are due to diarrheaContinue Reading Diarrhea: It’s not just an inconvenience