Acute infectious diarrhea

Acute infectious diarrhea affects people regardless of age, sex, or socioeconomic status and is seen in primary care and acute care settings. It can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Possible routes of transmission include person-to-person contact, contaminated food or water, and nosocomial infection; each route has associated pathogens. Its exact prevalence isn't known, but each year in the US it's estimated that contaminated food alone results in 48 million gastrointestinal illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths. Here, Blush and Matzo discuss the causes, preventives, and treatments of acute infectious diarrhea.