Bacterial GastroenteritisSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Bacterial Gastroenteritis
Bacterial gastroenteritis occurs when there is a bacterial infection of your stomach or intestines.
Infectious diarrhea - bacterial gastroenteritis; Acute gastroenteritis; Gastroenteritis - bacterial
Bacterial gastroenteritis can affect one person or a group of people who all ate the same food. It is commonly called food poisoning. It often occurs after eating at picnics, school cafeterias, large social gatherings, or restaurants.
Your food may get infected in many ways:
- Meat or poultry may come into contact with bacteria when the animal is processed.
- Water that is used during growing or shipping may contain animal or human waste.
- Improper food handling or preparation may occur in grocery stores, restaurants, or homes.
Food poisoning often occurs from eating or drinking:
- Food prepared by someone who did not wash their hands properly
- Food prepared using unclean cooking utensils, cutting boards, or other tools
- Dairy products or food containing mayonnaise (such as coleslaw or potato salad) that have been out of the refrigerator too long
- Frozen or refrigerated foods that are not stored at the proper temperature or are not reheated properly
- Raw shellfish such as oysters or clams
- Raw fruits or vegetables that have not been washed well
- Raw vegetable or fruit juices and dairy products (look for the word "pasteurized" to make sure the food is safe to eat or drink)
- Undercooked meats or eggs
- Water from a well or stream, or city or town water that has not been treated
Many different types of bacteria can cause bacterial gastroenteritis, including:
- Campylobacter jejuni
- E coli
- Salmonella
- Shigella
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Yersinia
Symptoms depend on the type of bacteria that caused the sickness. All types of food poisoning cause diarrhea. Other symptoms include:
- Abdominal cramps
- Abdominal pain
- Bloody stools
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever
You will most likely recover from the most common types of bacterial gastroenteritis in a couple of days. The goal is to make you feel better and avoid dehydration.
Drinking enough fluids and learning what to eat will help ease symptoms. You may need to:
- Manage the diarrhea
- Control nausea and vomiting
- Get plenty of rest
If you have diarrhea and are unable to drink or keep down fluids because of nausea or vomiting, you may need fluids through a vein (IV). Young children may be at extra risk of getting dehydrated.
If you take diuretics (water pills), or ACE inhibitors for high blood pressure, contact your provider. You may need to stop taking these medicines while you have diarrhea. Never stop or change your medicines without first checking with your provider.
Antibiotics are not given very often for most common types of bacterial gastroenteritis. If diarrhea is very severe or you have a weak immune system, antibiotics may be needed.
You can buy medicines at the drugstore that can help stop or slow diarrhea. Do not use these medicines without checking with your provider if you have:
- Bloody diarrhea
- Severe diarrhea
- Fever
Do not give these medicines to children.
Medical Education Assistance Corporation
. Dr. Youssef is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Bacterial Gastroenteritis. Her top areas of expertise are Sepsis, Endocarditis, Pneumonia, and Cellulitis.
Texas Health Digestive Specialists
Dr. Adnan Nadir has been a board-certified gastroenterologist and internist in North Texas since 2000. He is also fellowship-trained in gastroenterology. Dr. Nadir places a priority on providing quality comprehensive care for common and complex digestive, esophageal and urologic disorders, including pancreatic disease and colon/rectal disorders.Dr. Nadir earned his medical degree from Dow Medical College in Pakistan. He completed his internal medicine residency at Wayne State University in Detroit, Mich., becoming chief resident during his final year of residency. He then decided to pursue a fellowship in gastroenterology at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich. More recently, Dr. Nadir completed the Physician Leadership Development Program through the Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business in Dallas, Texas. He has been a member of, and has served in leadership roles for, multiple organizations and committees over the years, including the American College of Gastroenterology and American Gastroenterological Association.Outside of work, Dr. Nadir enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends. He is fluent in the Hindi and Urdu languages. Dr. Nadir is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Bacterial Gastroenteritis. His top areas of expertise are Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Childhood Volvulus, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).
Texas Health Digestive Specialists
"Dr. Aamer Agha has been performing colonoscopy, upper endoscopy and capsule endoscopy procedures since 2005. He is board certified in Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine. After graduating summa cum laude from the University of Texas in Austin, his residency was done at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Agha completed his Fellowship in Gastroenterology, also at Baylor College of Medicine. He has also published several papers in medical literature pertaining to Gastroenterology.Dr. Agha is a member of the American Gastroenterology Association</a>, Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy</a> and the American College of Gastroenterology</a>.". Dr. Agha is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Bacterial Gastroenteritis. His top areas of expertise are Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Hiatal Hernia, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy.
Most people get better in a few days without treatment.
Certain rare types of E coli can cause:
- Severe anemia
- Gastrointestinal bleeding
- Kidney failure
Contact your provider if you have:
- Blood or pus in your stools, or your stool is black
- Diarrhea with a fever above 101°F (38.3°C) or 100.4°F (38°C) in children
- Recently traveled to a foreign country and developed diarrhea
- Stomach pain that does not go away after a bowel movement
- Symptoms of dehydration (thirst, dizziness, lightheadedness)
Also contact your provider if:
- The diarrhea gets worse or does not get better in 2 days for an infant or child, or 5 days for adults
- A child over 3 months old has been vomiting for more than 12 hours; in younger babies, call as soon as vomiting or diarrhea begins
Take precautions to prevent food poisoning.
Published Date: October 20, 2025
Published By: Todd Eisner, MD, Private practice specializing in Gastroenterology in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, Florida at Gastroenterology Consultants of Boca Raton. Affiliate Assistant Professor, Florida Atlantic University School of Medicine. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Hammershaimb EA, Kotloff KL. Acute gastroenteritis in children. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 387.
Nguyen T, Akhtar S. Gastroenteritis. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 80.
Schiller LR, Sellin JH. Diarrhea. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology/Diagnosis/Management. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 16.
Walter EJS, Griffin PM. Foodborne disease (food poisoning). In: Blaser MJ, Cohen JI, Holland SM, et al, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2026:chap 103.