Infectious Diarrheas: Acute, Chronic, and Iatrogenic

Editorials1 November 1986Infectious Diarrheas: Acute, Chronic, and IatrogenicMARTIN J. BLASER, M.D.MARTIN J. BLASER, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-105-5-785 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptIn both health and disease, the lumen of the gut is an intricate ecosystem that yields its mysteries grudgingly. Despite this complexity, the last decade has produced a virtual revolution in the ability of microbiologists to identify enteric pathogens. Among these new agents being identified are bacteria, includingCampylobacter jejuniand several of its cousins,Clostridium difficile, Yersinia enterocolitica, newVibriospecies, and cytotoxin-producing strains ofEscherichia coli;protozoans, notablyCryptosporidium, Blastocysts, andIsosporaspecies; and viruses such as atypical rotaviruses and enteric adenoviruses. 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