What is the best way to stave off travellers diarrhoea?
When you think of travellers’ diarrhoea you tend to think of dodgy curry in Delhi or dirty water outer Mongolia, but it can occur in Australia as well and wreak havoc on a holiday. Travellers’ diarrhoea is really a blanket term for the body’s excruciating response diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and sometimes vomiting to a range of different bacteria that can contaminate food and water. Many a bushwalker close to home has been seduced into drinking water from an apparently pristine stream, only to live to regret it. When travelling in the developing world, it’s a good idea to follow the ‘three P’ rule for food you haven’t prepared yourself: don’t touch it, unless it’s “peelable, packaged or piping hot”. Even then, proceed with caution. As for water, the Australian Government’s Smart Traveller website provides information about the safety of tap water in different parts of the world. Where uncertain, if you don’t have access to bottled water, drink what you can find, but only if it’s been b
