Once again this popular holiday destination is gearing up to be a hotbed for claims concerning E. coli, Salmonella, Shigellosis and other strains of travel sickness often linked to contaminated food.
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Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is commonly associated with diarrhea in Egyptian children. Children less than 3 years old in Abu Homos, Egypt, had approximately five diarrheal episodes per child every year, and at least one of these episodes was due to ETEC.
Eating raw, under cooked, unwashed, or improperly handled meat, poultry products, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, shellfish, and seafood. Drinking contaminated water or beverages. Inadvertently ingesting fecal matter, protozoa eggs, or viruses by touching the mouth with dirty or improperly washed hands.
In Egypt, in 2016, 84% of the total number of deaths were due to NCDs, with four groups of diseases accounted for about 60% of the total death, they include; cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and Diabetes and kidney diseases (accounted for 40%, 13%, 4%, 3% of the total deaths, respectively) ...
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases, are currently the leading national cause of death in Egypt. NCDs are estimated to account for 82% of all deaths in Egypt and 67% of premature deaths.
Why is Food Poisoning a Problem in Egypt? Food hygiene standards in Egypt are often lower than those we experience in the UK. Fortunately most UK travellers experience food poisoning which is short lived but E. coli O157 can cause severe intestinal infection.
Public Health England reports that there have been 18 cases of E.coli in travellers returning from the Hurghada area of Egypt in 2019. One of the affected people developed a serious condition called Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) which can lead to kidney failure.
It is one of the commonest health problems experienced during travel. Travellers' diarrhoea usually gets better in 3 to 5 days. Most cases are mild and do not need specific treatment.