What preventive measures are effective for travelers diarrhea?
Travelers can minimize their risk for TD by practicing the following effective preventive measures: • Avoid eating foods or drinking beverages purchased from street vendors or other establishments where unhygienic conditions are present • Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat and seafood • Avoid eating raw fruits (e.g., oranges, bananas, avocados) and vegetables unless the traveler peels them. If handled properly well-cooked and packaged foods usually are safe. Tap water, ice, unpasteurized milk, and dairy products are associated with increased risk for TD. Safe beverages include bottled carbonated beverages, hot tea or coffee, beer, wine, and water boiled or appropriately treated with iodine or chlorine. Clinical Presentation Definitions of TD that rely on rigid criteria for frequency of loose stools in a 24-hour period are commonly used in clinical research studies but are not relevant to the clinical syndrome as it affects travelers. Travelers’ diarrhea is characterized by the fairly
