is bacterial diarrhea contagious :: Article Creator Is Diarrhea Contagious? Here's What To Know About Infectious Diarrhea, According To Gastroenterologists © Provided by Health Getty Images Unpleasant as it is, diarrhea—that loose, watery stool—is a common and normal part of life. Diarrhea is technically characterized as having a loose bowel movement three or more times in one day, according to the US National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus), and it can be chronic or acute. Generally speaking, diarrhea of any kind can be caused by a wide range of things. Certain medicines, food intolerance, chronic diseases are all things that can cause chronic, non-infectious diarrhea. But acute diarrhea specifically—the kind that comes on quickly and lasts up to a few days—is usually contagious, meaning you picked it up from contact with another person who also had diarrhea. How that happens is unnerving, to say the least: Contagious diarrhea usually