What is Brainerd diarrhea?
Brainerd diarrhea is a syndrome of acute onset of watery diarrhea ( 3 or more loose stools per day) lasting 4 weeks or longer, which can occur in outbreaks or as sporadic cases. It is named after Brainerd, Minnesota, the town where the first outbreak occurred in 1983. Patients typically experience 10-20 episodes per day of explosive, watery diarrhea, characterized by urgency and often by fecal incontinence. Accompanying symptoms include gas, mild abdominal cramping, and fatigue. Nausea, vomiting, and systemic symptoms such as fever are rare, although many patients experience slight weight loss. Back to Top What causes Brainerd diarrhea? Despite extensive clinical and laboratory investigations, the cause of Brainerd diarrhea has not yet been identified. Although it is thought to be an infectious agent, intensive searches for bacterial, parasitic, and viral pathogens have been unsuccessful so far. The possibility remains that Brainerd diarrhea is caused by a chemical toxin, but no such t
