Symptoms can come and go for up to 30 days, but usually subside in less. However, cryptosporidiosis can cause severe illness in persons with compromised immune systems, such as those with HIV infection or those taking drugs that suppress the immune system. Usually, diarrhea is the body's general reaction to anything that attacks or irritates the intestines, including intestinal infections, parasites, irritating chemicals, even a new type of food or medicine. Less often, diarrhea appears without being clearly related to an infection or irritant. When this happens, diarrhea is a sign that some type of problem is interfering with the intestines' ability to absorb nutrients and water.
Children have diarrhea when their bowel movements are frequent and watery.
One or two runny stools a day are not a problem. Among the viruses, rotavirus has been implicated for about 50,000 children are hospitalized in the United States each year for rotavirus infections, Rotavirus is a leading cause of severe diarrhea illness all around the world. Clean water food and sanitation does decrease the incidence of rotavirus infection. However, children can sometimes have diarrhea without having an infection, such as when diarrhea is caused by food allergies or as a result of taking medicines such as antibiotics. A child should be considered to have diarrhea when the child s bowel movements are both more frequent than usual and looser and more watery than usual.