Infections and Food Poisoning
Food poisoning and gastrointestinal infections account for most cases of diarrhea. You may get infected with the causal pathogen in several ways. Most bacterial and parasitic infections that trigger diarrhea are gotten by consuming contaminated food and water. They may also be due to poor hygiene, such as not washing the hands after touching potentially septic.
Common bacteria that cause diarrhea include [2] Salmonella, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Campylobacter, and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile). C. difficile often causes serious infections and may be gotten after antibiotic treatment or while on admission in a hospital. [3]
Many viruses also cause diarrhea. [4] While they may be gotten through contaminated food and water or poor hygiene as with bacteria, they may also be transmitted via air droplets. This often happens when an infected person sneezes or coughs near an uninfected person and the droplets are inhaled. Viruses that can cause watery diarrhea include norovirus, adenovirus, cytomegalovirus, rotavirus, and Norwalk virus. Rotavirus is a common cause of acute diarrhea in children. Recent research also shows that SARS-CoV-2 responsible for covid19 may also cause diarrhea.
Intestinal parasites such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium are also common causes of diarrhea. [5] They may be gotten from contaminated food or due to poor hygiene.