You may experience diarrhea because of several conditions or circumstances. Potential causesTrusted Source of diarrhea include: viral infections including rotavirus, norovirus, and viral gastroenteritis bacterial infections, including Salmonella and E. coli parasitic infections intestinal diseases a food intolerance, such as lactose intolerance an adverse reaction to a medication gallbladder or stomach surgery Rotavirus is the most common cause of acute diarrhea globally. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this infection causes around 40 percentTrusted Source of hospitalizations in children under 5 years old. Globally, most diarrhea deaths are the result of contaminated water supplies and insufficient sanitation. In the United States, you are more likely to develop diarrhea due to food poisoning from eating contaminated foodstuffs. According to the CDC, annually there are close to 48 millionTrusted Source diarrheal illnesses caused by contaminated food in the United States. Chronic diarrhea may be a symptom of a more severe condition such as irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease. Frequent and severe diarrhea could be a sign of intestinal disease or a functional bowel disorder.