What is travelers diarrhea?

Traveler's diarrhea occurs within 10 days of travel to an area with poor public hygiene. It's the most common illness in travelers. It's caused by drinking water or eating foods that have bacteria, viruses, or parasites. It usually goes away without treatment in a few days. Dehydration from diarrhea can be serious.



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You probably have traveler's diarrhea if you have at least three loose stools in 24 hours. You also will have one or more of the following symptoms: fever, vomiting, stomach cramps, or bloody stools. You also can have a milder case with sudden watery diarrhea and stomach cramps.

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Travellers' diarrhoea tends to happen in the first week of travel. Symptoms last on average 3 to 5 days and usually get better without you needing specific treatment.

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It can occur anywhere, but the highest-risk destinations are in Asia (except for Japan and South Korea) as well as the Middle East, Africa, Mexico, and Central and South America. In otherwise healthy adults, diarrhea is rarely serious or life-threatening, but it can make a trip very unpleasant.

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Recent studies have shown that approximately 25% of travelers develop TD in the first 2 weeks abroad, with the highest rates occurring in travel to Africa and South, Central and West Asia.

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Who gets traveler's diarrhea? Gastrointestinal infection can happen to anyone, anywhere. At home, we might call it food poisoning or a stomach flu. But it's easier to get it during international travel, when you're more likely to be exposed to pathogens that may be less commonly transmitted at home.

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Symptoms of traveller's diarrhoea include abdominal pain, cramps and the need to urgently and frequently pass watery stools (faeces). Generally, the cause is consumption of contaminated food or water.

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Traveler's diarrhea can be caused by bacteria, parasites, or viruses. Organisms that cause the disorder are usually acquired from food or water, especially in countries where the water supply may be inadequately treated. Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea can occur with any degree of severity.

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Although most cases of travelers' diarrhea (TD) are acute and self-limited, a certain percentage of people afflicted will develop persistent (>14 days) gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms.

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It can be fatal if it's left untreated. In addition to being picked up from contaminated food or water, the bacteria or parasites that cause dysentery can be passed from person to person in close contact, or you can get it by swimming in unclean water.

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APPROACH TO SELF-TREATMENT Mild diarrhea (up to three loose bowel movements a day) can be self-treated with oral rehydration and loperamide. If symptoms worsen or do not improve after 24 h, treatment with an antibiotic should be initiated.

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Seek medical attention if you have bloody diarrhea, high fever, persistent vomiting, severe abdominal pain, profuse sweating, or signs of dehydration.

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