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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Traveler's diarrhea is a digestive tract disorder that commonly causes loose stools and abdominal cramps. It's caused by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water. Fortunately, traveler's diarrhea usually isn't serious — it's just unpleasant.
When you visit a place where the climate, social conditions, or sanitary standards and practices are different from yours at home, you have an increased risk of developing traveler's diarrhea.
Being careful about what you eat and drink while traveling can reduce your risk of traveler's diarrhea. If you do develop traveler's diarrhea, chances are it will resolve without treatment. However, it's a good idea to have doctor-approved medications with you when you travel to high-risk areas in case diarrhea persists.
- Wanke CA. Travelers' diarrhea. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed April 3, 2013.
- Travelers' diarrhea: Self-treatable conditions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2012/chapter-2-the-pre-travel-consultation/travelers-diarrhea.htm. Accessed April 3, 2013.
- Travelers' diarrhea. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/travelersdiarrhea_g.htm. Accessed April 3, 2013.
- Auerbach PS. Wilderness Medicine. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-1678-8..00062-3&isbn=978-1-4377-1678-8&sid=1411680414&uniqId=403732597-9#4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-1678-8..00062-3--s0040. Accessed April 3, 2013.
- Kollaritsch H, et al. Traveler's diarrhea. Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 2012;26:691.
- Diarrhea. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/diarrhea/#treated. Accessed March 27, 2013.
- Water disinfection for travelers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2012/chapter-2-the-pre-travel-consultation/water-disinfection-for-travelers.htm. Accessed April 3, 2013.
- Food and water precautions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2012/chapter-2-the-pre-travel-consultation/food-and-water-precautions.htm. Accessed April 3, 2013.
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