At Your Destination

You have arrived. How can you stay healthy once you've gotten where you're going? Here are some tips for avoiding travel-related illnesses.

Traveler's Diarrhea
Infectious and Insect-borne Diseases

Traveler's Diarrhea

Traveler's diarrhea is the most common travel-related illness, especially when you're traveling outside your home country. This condition can cause dehydration, which can be particularly dangerous in children under 2 years old. Avoiding exposure to the bacteria and viruses that cause traveler's diarrhea is the best defense.

How to prevent it:

• Eat only well-cooked foods.
• Avoid high-risk foods such as undercooked meat, seafood, cold salads, raw vegetables, or peeled fruit (unless you peeled it yourself).
• Do not use room temperature sauces and condiments or food left sitting out for long periods.
• While alcoholic beverages are usually OK, the alcohol will not kill organisms in ice or beverages to which it is added.
• Do not eat food sold by street vendors unless it is served piping hot.
• Assume that all local water supplies and ice are unsafe to drink or use while brushing your teeth. Drink only boiled or bottled water.
• Drink sealed can and bottled beverages.
• Wipe excess water from any container before you drink.
• Make sure milk products have been boiled or pasteurized.
• Bring your own straws.

How to treat it:

Most cases require fluid replacement and easily digestible foods (bananas, rice, apple sauce, gelatin, toast, crackers, or oral re-hydration solution packets mixed with sterile/bottled water). You can prevent dehydration by consuming fluids high in sugar and salt, including nutrient-replacing sports drinks. Pepto-Bismol is a good initial treatment, and Imodium (or Kaopectate for children) can help with cramping.

If you can't keep anything down, if your diarrhea persists despite treatment, or if you develop bloody diarrhea, especially with fever, seek medical attention.

Breast-feeding infants should continue nursing on demand. Seek immediate medical attention if your child has bloody diarrhea, a fever over 102 F, persistent vomiting, or shows signs of moderate to severe dehydration, including rapid and weak pulse, very sunken eyes, no tears, reduced or no urination, or severe weight loss.

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Infectious and Insect-borne Diseases

The following diseases are usually found in tropical regions where there is stagnant water:

Malaria

Malaria is spread by mosquitoes infected with the malaria organism. Symptoms are often flu-like and include: fever, muscle pain, nausea, headache, fatigue, chills, and/or sweats. If you are traveling to areas where malaria is a problem, you should discuss preventive medications with your doctor, and take preventive measures:

• Use insect repellent.
• Remain fully covered with loose clothes and netting.
• Stay indoors from dusk to dawn.

Schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis is caused by a parasite found in untreated lake and river water. This parasite can enter your body through your mouth or skin. To protect yourself, you should only swim in chlorinated or salt water.

For additional information on insect-borne diseases, visit the diseases page of the National Center for Infectious Diseases Traveler's Health Web site.

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