This Minnesota Town Has Its Own Brand Of Diarrhea

Every city has its own unique claim to fame. It turns out some are more desirable than others.

Have you ever heard of 'Brainerd Diarrhea?' I just (accidentally) learned about it this morning while browsing the internet.

WHAT IS BRAINERD DIARRHEA? 

'Brainerd Diarrhea' is a 'sudden onset of watery, explosive diarrhea that last for months and does not respond to antibiotics, according to Wikipedia's definition.

In July of 1984 the Minnesota Department of Health was told by doctors in Brainerd that 20-50 of their patients had been experiencing chronic diarrhea since January of that year... that's over six months!

The MDH investigated the reports and found that the illness was 'strongly associated' with drinking raw milk from a local dairy, which subsequently stopped selling its raw milk.

The Minnesota Department of Health identified 122 outbreak-related cases. The first patient's illness began in December of 1983 and did not cease until July of 1984. There was no evidence of person-to-person transmission of the illness, according to the MDH.

SYMPTOMS OF BRAINERD DIARRHEA 

Common symptoms included 10-20, sudden-onset, watery stools per day, abdominal cramping, nausea and vomiting. Despite trying several different medications and methods of treatment, not a single patient responded to treatment.

Since the 1983 outbreak in Brainerd, at least nine others have been reported throughout the United States, but the original's 122 cases remains the most-ever.

TREATMENT FOR BRAINERD DIARRHEA 

There is no known treatment for Brainerd Diarrhea, with most cases apparently resolving themselves after 'days, weeks, months or even years.'