Whether gastroenteritis is contagious depends on the cause of the inflammation. For example, if a person develops abdominal pain and diarrhea from getting cold, this type of gastroenteritis, caused by chilling, is not contagious, so it will not spread from person to person. However, if the gastroenteritis is caused by bacterial dysentery (commonly known as bacillary dysentery), it can be spread through food. Therefore, whether gastroenteritis is contagious depends on the infecting pathogen and the cause; it cannot be generalized.