Travelers' Diarrhea (TD) is the most common health problem among those travelling to locations where sanitation and water treatment standards and practices are less developed. It is said that at least 30% of voyagers will come done with it during or after their trip.

TD is caused by eating food and drinking water that contain germs. Most commonly the infections are bacterial: E. coli., Shigella, and Salmonella in particular, but viral agents such as Norwalk virus and Rotavirus can also infect and induce the debilitating symptoms of the condition. Some advocate the use of antibiotics as a preventative measure, but these can engender the development of resistant bacteria and leave one more susceptible to causing infections.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these suggestions to help reduce your risk of TD:

• Don't eat or drink anything from a street vendor.
• Don't obtain food or drink from any facility that appears unclean.
• Don't eat any meat or seafood that is raw or appears undercooked.
• Don't eat any raw vegetables or fruit (i.e. oranges, bananas) unless you peel them yourself.
• Avoid tap water and ice.
• Avoid drinking or eating unpasteurized dairy products¹

• 1. www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/travelersdiarrhea_g.htm#causes