[6] A link between small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and tropical sprue has been proposed to be involved in the etiology of post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

[7] Intestinal immunologic dysfunction, including deficiencies in secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA), may predispose people to malabsorption and bacterial colonization, so tropical sprue may be triggered in susceptible individuals following an acute enteric infection.

Malabsorption can also be caused by protozoan infections, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, immunodeficiency, chronic pancreatitis and inflammatory bowel disease.

[2] Preventive measures for visitors to tropical areas where the condition exists include steps to reduce the likelihood of gastroenteritis.

[12] Tropical sprue was responsible for one-sixth of all casualties sustained by the Allied forces in India and Southeast Asia during World War II.

[2] The use of folic acid and vitamin B12 in the treatment of tropical sprue was promoted in the late 1940s by Dr. Tom Spies of the University of Alabama, while conducting his research in Cuba and Puerto Rico.