When outside your home country, take these precautions so you don’t ruin your hard-earned vacation or business trip with traveler’s diarrhea. I know it’s tempting to try new delicious foods, but you will be feeling awfully stupid sitting on a toilet allowing diarrhea to run its course. Worse yet, traveling on an airplane, a bus, or a train with diarrhea in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language is downright torture. I don’t care if you are in Spain, the United States, Mexico, Kenya or Indonesia, if you are not from there, don’t do as they do because you will probably end up getting what they don’t.
More Infectious Diseases Quick Tips
DO:
- Drink bottled, boiled or properly treated water
- Drink bottled and canned drinks opened in front of you from a straw you unwrapped yourself
- Eat well-cooked foods
- Eat foods served very hot
- Eat fresh fruit you peeled yourself
- Brush your teeth with bottled, boiled or properly treated water
- Think before you put anything in your mouth
- Ask where the water comes from
- Pack alcohol hand rubs in your travel bag
- Wash your hands before eating, and after using the toilet
DO NOT:
- Eat fresh, cold salads
- Eat food that has been sitting out in a buffet
- Use condiments that have been sitting out on a table
- Eat fresh, uncooked fruit, unless you peeled it yourself
- Drink fresh fruit juice
- Eat undercooked meat
- Eat foods served cool or cold
- Drink directly from bottles or cans
- Ask for ice cubes
- Drink or eat from damp glasses or plates cleaned in contaminated water
- Drink the bath, shower or swimming pool water
- Drink from streams, lakes or springs
- Drink mixed drinks containing fresh fruits, juices or ice
Heymann, David (2004.) Control of communicable diseases manual. Washington D.C.: American Public Health Association.