Diarrheal diseases (signpost)

Diarrhea is characterized by frequent bowel movements. This is a symptom with considerable subjective variation. Diarrhea is a common manifestation of various digestive disorders. Diarrheal diseases cause up to 20 million deaths a year worldwide, with young children most at risk.

According to etiology

 * Viral gastroenteritis (viral diarrheal diseases)
 * 1) Rotavirus enteritis
 * 2) Adenovirus enteritis


 * Bacterial gastroenteritis (bacterial diarrheal diseases)
 * 1) Campylobacter enteritis (causative agent: Campylobacter jejuni)
 * 2) Salmonella enteritis (causative agent: Salmonella enteritidis, S. typhimurium)
 * 3) Typhoid fever (causative agent: Salmonella typhi)
 * 4) Paratyphoid fever (causative agent: Salmonella paratyphi)
 * 5) Shigellosis (causative agent: Shigella dysenteriae, flexneri, boydii, sonnei)
 * 6) Cholera (causative agent: Vibrio cholerae)
 * 7) Infections caused by Escherichia coli


 * Gastrointestinal parasitosis
 * 1) Protozoa: Toxoplasmosis (causative agent: Toxoplasma gondii), Toxocarosis (Toxocara canis / cati), Giardiasis (Giardia lamblia), Amoebiasis (Entamoeba histolytica), Cryptosporidiosis (Cryptosporidium parvum)
 * 2) Nematodes: Ascariasis (caused by: Ascaris lumbricoides), Trichuriosis (Trichuris trichiura), Trichinella spiralis, Enterobiosis (Enterobius vermicularis), Strongyloides stercoralis, Ancylostoma duodenale, Necator americanes, Dracunulus
 * 3) Cestodes: Teniosis (agents: Taenia solium, Taenia saginata), Diphyllobothrium latum, (Hymenolepis nana), Echinococcus granulosus…


 * Enterotoxicosis - caused by enterotoxins


 * Drug-induced diarrhea: Pseudomembranous enterocolitis

Related articles

 * Diarrhea (pediatrics)
 * Differential diagnosis of diarrheal diseases
 * Therapy of diarrheal diseases
 * Antidiarrheals