Infectious diarrhea in history

Abstract

Throughout history, infectious diarrhea has been associated with crowding, poor sanitation, and war. Although descriptions of infectious diarrhea exist in the earliest records of civilization, effective measures for prevention were not widely or consistently used until the modern era of active public health promotion. Advances in the understanding of etiologies and therapies have revolutionized prognosis; however, constant vigilance against lapses in public health is necessary to prevent outbreaks of disease.