The Role of Probiotics in Prevention and Treatment of GI Infections

Probiotics are ingested orally and many of them have major effects on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Thus their possible efficacy for GI tract diseases is of great interest. Since GI tract infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in children in developing countries, the use of probiotics to prevent or to treat such infections is an area of great importance. This chapter will review the use of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of infectious diarrhea as well as the prevention of traveler's diarrhea (which is usually infectious in origin).