Traveller's Diarrhoea
Travellers diarrhoea is spread through food and water but can also be spread from person to person. It is amongst one of the highest reported health problems experienced during travel. Most cases are mild and will get better within a period of 3 to 5 days, requiring no treatment. However, some cases will need specific treatment that requires a travellers diarrhoea treatment prescription.
By using My Pharmacy, you can purchase a travellers diarrhoea prescription by simply filling out the free consultation. Once you have completed your order, our qualified pharmacists will review your travellers diarrhoea prescription UK and prepare it for dispatch.
-
Traveller's Diarrhoea!
What is traveller’s diarrhoea?
Traveller’s diarrhoea is a general term applied to the common problem of diarrhoeal illness experienced by travellers, usually in the first week or two of a stay in a foreign environment. Traveller’s diarrhoea encompasses diarrhoea caused by numerous enteropathogens (bacteria, parasites and viruses) picked up from contaminated food and water in the new, foreign environment. Traveller’s diarrhoea remains a major public health problem with significant morbidity.
Traveller’s diarrhoea has been defined as “an increase in frequency of bowel movements to three or more loose stools per day during a trip abroad, usually to a less economically developed region”.[1]
Information about level of risk in individual destinations is available on the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) website.[2]
High-risk areas: South and Southeast Asia, Central America, West and North Africa, South America, East Africa. (C. jejuni infection is more common in Southeast Asia, whereas E. coli is more common in South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America. Norovirus is common in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, and parasitic infection is more common in South and Southeast Asia.)
Intermediate-risk areas: Russia, China, Caribbean, South Africa.
Low-risk areas: North America, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Other than geography, other risk factors include:
- Age less than 6 years.
- Nature of trip (certain types of trip carry higher risk – eg, cruise ship holidays, holiday resorts, backpacking).
-
Traveller's diarrhoea symptoms
These will be, to some extent, consistent with the pathogen responsible.
- Most pathogens cause mild self-limiting diarrhoea for less than 72 hours.
- Diarrhoea lasting for longer than 14 days suggests more unusual organisms and testing for Giardia, Entamoeba, Cyclospora and Cryptosporidium species is required.
- Bloody diarrhoea (dysentery) occurs more commonly with some pathogens (Salmonella, Shigella and Campylobacter species). Some pain may accompany infection with Campylobacter spp.
- Diarrhoea caused by enterotoxigenic E. coli is usually watery and profuse. It may be preceded by abdominal pains, nausea and general malaise.
- G. lamblia is often associated with bloating and burping.
However, it is not possible to make a reliable diagnosis from the history alone.
Further assessment
A more detailed assessment of the illness is required and this should include travel details.
- Travel details help the diagnostic process:
- Place of travel and the level of risk for the particular destination. Knowledge of the local disease prevalence and conditions is required.
- Purpose of travel, including information on conditions of stay (including dietary habits).
- A medication history noting whether chemoprophylaxis of any variety has been taken.
