travelers' diarrhea

travelers' diarrhea

Montezuma's revenge, Aztec two-step, E coli enteritis, Turkey trot, Dehli belly Internal medicine A condition defined as '… the passage of at least 3 unformed stools in a 24-hr period … with N&V, abdominal pain or cramps, fecal urgency, tenesmus, passage of bloody or mucoid stools …in a person who normally resides in an industrialized region and who travels to a developing or semitropical country…Diarrhea > 1 wk in 10% of Pts, and > 1 month in 2%; ±20% of Pts are confined to bed for 1-2 days; most diarrhea in travelers is acquired orally and caused by the heat-stable and heat-labile toxins of E coli and Shigella; the intensity of infection depends on water supply quality, and previous host exposure and susceptibility Pathogens on cruise ships Shigella, Salmonella, Vibrio parahemolyticus, Aeromonas hydrophila, Campylobacter jejuni, Plesiomonas shigelloides, V cholerae–non-01, V fluvialis, Yersinia enterocolitica Parasites Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica, Balantidium coli, Cryptosporidium spp, Dientamoeba fragilis, Isospora belli, Strongyloides stercoralis Viruses Norwalk-like agents, rotavirus Management Rehydration, bismuth subsalicylate, narcotic analogs to slow the motility and T-S if antibiotics are required Prevention Boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it. See Airline food, Cruise ship-related diarrhea.

McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Patient discussion about travelers' diarrhea

Q. What Is Travelers' Diarrhea? I wanted to know- what exactly is travelers' diarrhea?

A. Travelers' diarrhea is the most common illness affecting travelers. Travelers' diarrhea is defined as three or more unformed stools in 24 hours, commonly accompanied by abdominal cramps, nausea and bloating. Each year 20%–50% of international travelers, an estimated 10 million people, develop diarrhea, usually within the first week of traveling. It can occur due to poor sanitary conditions, usually by bacterial infection. Escherichia coli, enteroaggregative E. coli, and Shigella are the most common bacteria involved. High-risk destinations are the developing countries of Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

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