Consumer Reports Health - Digestive system - Diarrhea in adults

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How common is diarrhea?

Diarrhea is very common.

Each year in the United States, between 211 million and 375 million adults get diarrhea. About 900,000 people need to go to the hospital because they have diarrhea, and about 6,000 people die.¹

Between 2 in 10 and 5 in 10 people traveling to a foreign country get diarrhea.² To read more, see Travelers' diarrhea.

Sources for the information on this page:

Thielman NM, Guerrant R. Acute infectious diarrhea. New England Journal of Medicine. 2004; 350: 38-47.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Travelers' diarrhea. November 2006. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/travelersdiarrhea_g.htm (accessed on 22 January 2008).

This information was last updated in Jul 25, 2008

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.