Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
must be given at a designated clinic and is valid for 10 years. It is a live vaccine and must
not be given to immuno-compromised or pregnant travellers.
Travellers' Diarrhoea
Although it's not inevitable that you will get diarrhoea while travelling in the region, it's
certainly likely. Diarrhoea is the most common travel-related illness and sometimes can be
triggered by simple dietary changes.
To help prevent diarrhoea, avoid tap water, only eat fresh fruits and vegetables if
cooked or peeled, and be wary of dairy products that might contain unpasteurised milk.
The small plastic bags of water sold on street corners are best avoided. Take care with
fruit juice, particularly if water may have been added. Milk in many smaller restaurants is
made from reconstituted milk powder, which is safe if it's been made with boiled or min-
eral water.
With freshly cooked food, plates or serving utensils might be dirty, so be selective when
eating food from street vendors and make sure that cooked food is piping hot all the way
through.
If you develop diarrhoea, drink plenty of fluids, preferably an oral rehydration solution
containing water (lots), and some salt and sugar. A few loose stools don't require treat-
ment, but if you start having more than four or five stools a day, start taking an antibiotic
(usually a quinoline drug, such as ciprofloxacin or norfloxacin), and an anti-diarrhoeal
agent (such as loperamide) if you are not within easy reach of a toilet. If diarrhoea is
bloody, persists for more than 72 hours or is accompanied by fever, shaking chills or
severe abdominal pain, seek medical attention.
Amoebic Dysentery
Contracted by eating contaminated food and water, amoebic dysentery causes blood and
mucus in the faeces. It can be relatively mild and tends to come on gradually, but seek
medical advice if you think you have the illness as it won't clear up without treatment
(which is with specific antibiotics).
Giardiasis
This, like amoebic dysentery, is also caused by ingesting contaminated food or water. The
illness usually appears a week or more after you have been exposed to the offending para-
site. Giardiasis might cause only a short-lived bout of typical travellers' diarrhoea, but it
