Risk factors include prolonged duration of initial illness and the toxicity of the infecting bacterial strain. Women, smokers and those under 60 also seem to be more prone to developing post infection IBS. See the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (USA) for more details.
In the UK most cases of TD are recorded from popular holiday destinations. A report from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in 2010 found that Egypt was the most common place to contract TD, followed by India and Thailand.
“Prevention is better than cure”
As the old saying goes preventing TD is the key to preventing possible future problems. TD is common throughout the world due to poor sanitation and hygiene.
Always wash your hands well before you eat and drink, if running water is unavailable remove dirt with a baby wipe and then use hand sanitizer.
Ensure safe drinking water by buying bottled water checking the seals are intact. Choose drinks which are boiled or made with boiling water. Bringing water to a rolling boil will disinfect it but this method isn’t always convenient. Chlorine tablets are helpful but do not remove some harmful parasites but used in conjunction with a filter are very effective. Chlorine tablets and filters are available at the Travel Clinic Ltd.
Avoid food which could have been washed or made with the local water, for example salads, fresh fruit or ice cubes. Buffet style food which isn’t kept at a high enough temperature and which allows flies to land on the food should also be avoided these are often common in all-inclusive type resorts. Ensure food is piping hot and well cooked. Avoid shellfish and unpasteurized food such as cheese or ice cream and also food from street vendors.
REMEMBER “Cook it, boil it, peel it or forget it”.
If you do get TD the priority in treatment is preventing dehydration (especially in young children). Clear fluids such as diluted fruit juices or ideally specially prepared oral rehydrating solutions which can be bought at the Travel Clinic Ltd should be drunk liberally. A pinch of salt and teaspoon of sugar added to 500ml (a pint) of water is a useful alternative. All these drinks must be prepared with purified water. Anti-diarrhoea agents such as loperamide (Imodium®) or diphenoxylate plus atropine (lomotil®) may be used sparingly - they can help particularly with associated colicky pains. Overuse can cause 'rebound' constipation and occasionally encourage other complications.
If used without medical supervision, prolonged courses are not normally necessary or desirable - treatment for 1 or 2 days is usually all that is required - and if the illness continues medical help should be sought.
Whatever medicines are being taken, it is essential to continue to drink lots of clear fluids.
Xifaxanta the newest kind of antibiotic is now given to treat traveller’s diarrhoea due to increasing drug resistancy, particularly in the Indian sub-continent, to other types of antibiotics. Xifaxanta is used to cure diarrhoea but isn’t given to prevent diarrhoea but this drug could be a useful addition to your medical kit and to help with possible future issues such as post infection IBS.
You can obtain Xifaxanta during your consultation at The Travel Clinic Ltd.
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