COTS Program

 Introduction to diarrhea

Diarrhea is defined as loose or watery stools at an increased frequency from normal. Although bowel habits vary, the WHO defines diarrhea as 3 or more loose or watery stools per 24 hours; this presentation is usually associated with other systemic or gastrointestinal symptoms. This program will focus on infectious diarrhea and will use the WHO definition of diarrhea.

In the small sections below, the types, magnitude, and impact of infectious diarrhea will be discussed, as well as the transmission, susceptibility, seasonality, and history of diarrheal epidemics.

• Magnitude of diarrheal disease
• Clinical types of infectious diarrhea
• Transmission and susceptibility of diarrheal infections
• Seasonality of diarrheal disease
• History of diarrheal epidemics
• Chapter conclusion
• Quiz questions