Travelers' diarrhea
| Traveler's diarrhea | |
|---|---|
| Synonyms | Traveller's diarrhoea, tourist diarrhea, traveler's dysentery |
| Symptoms | Unformed stool while traveling, fever, abdominal cramps |
| Duration | Typically < 5 days |
| Causes | Often bacterial |
| Prevention | Eating only properly prepared food, drinking bottled water, frequent hand washing |
| Treatment | Oral rehydration therapy, antibiotics, loperamide |
| Frequency | ~35% of travelers to the developing world |
| Classification | |
|---|---|
| External resources |
Traveler's diarrhea (TD) is a stomach and intestinal infection. TD is defined as the passage of unformed stool (one or more by some definitions, three or more by others) while traveling. It may be accompanied by abdominal cramps, nausea, fever, and bloating. Occasionally bloody diarrhea may occur. Most travelers recover within four days with little or no treatment. About 10% of people may have symptoms for a week.
Bacteria are responsible for more than half of cases. The bacteria enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) are typically the most common except in Southeast Asia, where Campylobacter is more prominent. About 10% to 20% of cases are due to norovirus. Protozoa such as Giardia may cause longer term disease. The risk is greatest in the first two weeks of travel and among young adults. People affected are more often from the developed world.
Recommendations for prevention include eating only properly cleaned and cooked food, drinking bottled water, and frequent hand washing. The oral cholera vaccine, while effective for cholera, is of questionable use for traveler's diarrhea. Preventative antibiotics are generally discouraged. Primary treatment includes drinking lots of fluids and replacing lost salts (oral rehydration therapy). Antibiotics are recommended for significant or persistent symptoms, and can be taken with loperamide to decrease diarrhea. Hospitalization is required in less than 3% of cases.
Estimates of the percentage of people affected range from 20 to 50% among travelers to the developing world. TD is particularly common among people travelling to Asia (except Japan), the Middle East, Africa, Mexico, and Central and South America. The risk is moderate in Southern Europe, Russia, and China. TD has been linked to later irritable bowel syndrome and Guillain–Barré syndrome. It has colloquially been known by a number of names, including Montezuma's revenge and Delhi belly.
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