Gut pathogens nearly all share one road in, the fecal-oral route. What sets them apart is how few microbes it takes, how long before you feel it, and what gets them off your hands. Pick one, then set the dose you swallow and the state of the gut flora, and watch the odds move.
Dose and the oddslive curve
Each step along the bottom is ten times more microbes swallowed. The curve shows the chance that dose makes you ill.
Onset clockwhen signs start
Every pathogen here reaches the gut through the mouth
Five common gut infectionspick one to explore
How many you swallow
1e4
State of the gut flora
Chance of illness
0%
Signs start
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Hands cleaned
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The fecal-oral routeNearly every gut pathogen leaves one person in stool or vomit and enters another through the mouth. It rides on food, on water, on hands, or on surfaces. That is why clean hands and safe food handling break the chain. Pick a pathogen to see its own twist on the story.
Clean your hands
Drop in what is left —
Pick a pathogen and a method. Each full step is ten times fewer microbes left behind.