What are the symptoms?
When people develop travelers' diarrhea, they may feel nauseous and then they may develop loose or watery stools. This can progress so that they have diarrhea more than four times a day, and the diarrhea can have blood or mucous in it. They may also develop significant abdominal cramps and fever.
What are the high-risk destinations?
The highest risk areas for travelers' diarrhea are Africa, Central and South America, the Middle East and most of Asia. Certain other destinations, the Caribbean, the Pacific islands, Israel, Japan, are more intermediate risk. You're most at risk in the developing countries.
Of course, it also depends on the nature of the travel. There are different sorts of travelers. Someone who flies on an air-conditioned jet, gets in an air-conditioned limo, goes to an air-conditioned hotel and only drinks bottle water is at substantially lower risk than someone who's hiking or trekking and getting their water from streams.
Who is at increased risk?
There are some differences in people's individual risks. One of your body's main defenses against getting intestinal infections is the acid your stomach makes. Your stomach can make acid that kills germs on their way in. So if you're taking medications that shut off your stomach acid, antacid medicines, you may be at greater risk of getting travelers' diarrhea because that host defense is shut off. People who are immunocompromised, such as those with HIV infection, leukemia or lymphoma, are also at higher risk.
