Preventing and Managing Travelers' Diarrhea

Travelers' diarrhea is a common condition affecting individuals traveling to new locations, typically caused by consuming contaminated food or water.

Travelers' Diarrhea FAQ

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What is traveler's diarrhea?

Traveler’s diarrhea is a digestive tract disorder. It consists of abdominal cramps and diarrhea that’s most often caused by consuming food or water that the body isn’t familiar with.

Where is traveler's diarrhea most common?

Each year millions of international travelers experience traveler's diarrhea. High-risk destinations for traveler's diarrhea include areas of: Central America. South America. Mexico. Africa. South Asia and Southeast Asia.

What are the common complication of traveler's diarrhea?

The most common complication of traveler’s diarrhea is dehydration. This can be very serious. Dehydration can easily occur when the diarrhea causes the body to lose fluids at a faster rate than they can take them in. Vomiting and nausea, which sometimes accompany diarrhea, can make this worse.

How long does traveler's diarrhea last?

This way, you'll be prepared in case diarrhea gets severe or won't go away. Traveler's diarrhea may begin suddenly during your trip or shortly after you return home. Most people improve within 1 to 2 days without treatment and recover completely within a week. However, you can have multiple episodes of traveler's diarrhea during one trip.

What are the symptoms of traveler's diarrhea?

The following symptoms of traveler's diarrhea can occur in any combination and with any degree of severity: These symptoms begin 12 to 72 hours after ingesting contaminated food or water. Vomiting, headache, and muscle pain are particularly common in infections caused by norovirus. Rarely, diarrhea is bloody.

How common is travelers' diarrhea?

Literature review current through: Feb 2024. This topic last updated: Feb 28, 2023. Travelers' diarrhea is the most common illness in persons traveling from resource-rich to resource-limited regions of the world [ 1,2 ]. Among travelers to such areas, 40 to 60 percent develop diarrhea [ 3 ].

What causes travelers' diarrhea?

Other common bacterial causes of travelers’ diarrhea include Campylobacter jejuni, Shigella, and Salmonella species. Norovirus is the most common viral cause while rotavirus is another source of infection. Giardia intestinalis is the most common parasitic source while Cryptosporidium and Entamoeba histolytica can also cause travelers’ diarrhea.