Can chronic or severe diarrhea lead to serious and possibly life threatening dehydration. Explain why

severe diarrhoeal diseases are among the leading causes of mortality in infants and young children in many developing countries like Nigeria and other Africa countries. In most cases, death is caused by dehydration.

During this diarrhoea there is an increased loss of water and electrolytes (sodium, chloride, potassium, and bicarbonate) in the liquid stool. Water and electrolytes are also lost through vomit, sweat, urine and breathing. Dehydration occurs when these losses are not replaced adequately and a deficit of water and electrolytes develops

If the body loses a substantial amount of fluids and salts and they are not quickly replaced; for example: by drinking, the body starts to "dry up" or get dehydrated. Severe dehydration could cause death.