Inflammation of the stomach and small intestine, usually caused by viral or bacterial infection, resulting in vomiting, diarrhea, and cramps.
From 'gastro-' (stomach) + 'entero-' (intestine) + '-itis' (inflammation). This term became standard in medical literature in the early 1900s to replace older terms like 'intestinal flu.'
Gastroenteritis kills hundreds of thousands of people worldwide every year, mostly children in poor countries without clean water—it's why vaccines and sanitation matter so much to global health!
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