Traveler's Diarrhea: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Traveler's diarrhea is a very common digestive disorder affecting people when traveling to areas where hygiene standards and water treatment differ from their home country. It results in most cases from eating food or drinking water contaminated with germs (usually bacteria, sometimes viruses or parasites) the traveler's digestive system is not used to.

Symptoms usually appear during the first days of arrival and include frequent watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps and pain, nausea and sometimes vomiting, a low fever, and an urge to defecate. Most cases are mild and bothersome but limited, improving on their own within two to four days. The most important danger is dehydration from fluid loss, especially in children and older adults.

Managing traveler's diarrhea relies mainly on replacing fluids and salts with safe water and oral rehydration solutions to prevent dehydration, along with rest and light food. Some anti-diarrheal medications may help ease symptoms in adults, while antibiotics are reserved for more severe cases or those with high fever or blood in the stool and are taken by prescription. Prevention is fundamental: choosing well-cooked, hot food, avoiding non-bottled water and ice, raw vegetables, and exposed foods, washing hands, and following the rule cook it, peel it, or leave it.

• Frequent watery diarrhea and an urge to defecate.
• Abdominal cramps and pain.
• Nausea and sometimes vomiting and a low fever.
• Dehydration signs in severe cases.

• Food or water contaminated with germs (usually bacteria).
• A change in the microbial environment from what the traveler is used to.
• Poor hygiene in food and water preparation.

• Clinical diagnosis from symptoms and travel history.
• A stool test in severe, prolonged, or bloody cases.

Hydration (the basis)

• Drinking safe water and oral rehydration solutions to replace fluids and salts.
• Rest and light, easily digestible food.

Medication

• Anti-diarrheals to ease symptoms in adults when needed.
• Antibiotics for severe cases or with high fever or blood in the stool by prescription.

This content is educational and does not replace medical advice.

• Dehydration, especially in children and older adults.
• Prolonged diarrhea or post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome sometimes.
• A more severe infection needing treatment with blood or high fever.

• Choosing well-cooked, hot food and avoiding exposed and raw foods.
• Drinking bottled water and avoiding ice and unsafe water.
• Washing hands, peeling fruit yourself, and following cook it, peel it, or leave it.