section_path: Pathophysiology
section_name: Pathophysiology
paragraph_text: Pathophysiology
  
  Gastroenteritis is defined as vomiting or diarrhea due to inflammation of the small or large bowel, often due to infection. The changes in the small bowel are typically noninflammatory, while the ones in the large bowel are inflammatory. The number of pathogens required to cause an infection varies from as few as one (for Cryptosporidium) to as many as 10 (for Vibrio cholerae).