Traveller's diarrhea:5 ways to prevent it

Traveller’s Diarrhea

Diarrhea is the leading cause of illness in the traveller’s community .A traveller should take great precaution to keep his stay healthy and disease free. The onset is sudden and infants and young adults are at particular risk. Eating in restaurants and consuming food from street vendors is associated with increased risk of infection.

Cause:

          Various organism listed below are implicated in causing the traveller’s diarrhea.

ET E.Coli

Vibrio parahaemoliticus

Salmonella

C.Jejuni

Shigella

Giardia Lamblia

Vibrio Cholerae

Rota virus and Norwalk virus

Clinical features:

The onset of diarrhea is abrupt with watery stools. It last for 2-5 days.Abdominal ,anorexia and vomiting can also occur. The disorder usually resolves spontaneously .In severe cases however medication are needed.

Prevention by the traveller

1. Good hygiene practices are always recommended.

2. Clean water should be utmost priority. Even ice cubes formed by untreated water can be harmful for the traveller.

3. Avoid uncooked vegetables, raw food.

4. Avoid eating from street vendors.

5. Boiled water is the safest source since many cysts are resistant to chemical treatment.

Treatment

A traveller’s diarrhea can strike despite all precautions .A traveller should carry medicine for self treatment ,for mild diarrhea ,oral rehydration solution is sufficient. In case of persisting diarrhea Loperamide may be required. In severe cases however, a course of antibiotic is needed. An antibiotic is useful in reducing the frequency of bowel movement and cuts short the duration of disease. A standard course of Quinolone taken twice a day can be effective. In case of resistant infection, Azithromycin may be the drug of choice.