Epidemiology of Travelers- Diarrhea: Details of a Global Survey

Abstract

TD continues to affect vacationers and business travelers as frequently as it did some 20 years ago. Compliance with recommendations to reduce exposure to pathogens by avoiding dangerous food items is poor among travelers from all countries. Implementation of food safety education programs may be difficult to achieve.

Knowledge, Attitude and Perceptions of Indian long-distance Train Travellers Towards Medicinal Drugs, Healthcare, and Hygiene while Travelling: A Questionnaire-based Survey

“…14 There is an increasing trend amongst Indian travellers in long-distance trains to use bottled water over home brought water as the quantity of the home brought water may be insufficient to last the entire journey and as most passengers do not prefer to refill their water bottles from the taps present at railway stations due to a risk of water-borne infections. 15,16 The age-old practise in India of drinking water by the cup of the hand is dwindling away with time, as observed in our study. Similarly, since the majority of the passengers preferred pantry-food and a substantial number also complained of being ill after consuming pantry-food, the hygiene and cleanliness of the pantry should be adequately addressed by the Indian Railways.…”

“…NSAIDs Paracetamol (13) Paracetamol + Ibuprofen combination (1) Aspirin (2) Headache (2) Malaise (2) Bodyache (7) Fever (2) Wrong indication (2) Rash (1) No knowledge (15) Antacids Sodium bicarbonate sachet (1) Ranitidine (1) Aluminium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide combination (1) Acidity (1) Burning sensation in stomach (1) No knowledge (1) No knowledge (3) Herbal drugs Mentha piperata extract (Pudinhara) (1) Neopeptine (1) Bloating, gas (1) Indigestion (1) No knowledge (2) Values in parenthesis represent n. Some participants carried more than one medication. Table 7: Drugs carried by participants without any pre-existing medical conditions (chronic/acute) for countering anticipated travel-related medical problems during the journey (n = 34).…”

GeoSentinel Surveillance of Illness in Returned Travelers, 2007–2011

“…Increasing quinolone resistance worldwide may have implications for the frequent use of these antibiotics for empirical therapy for acute travelers' diarrhea (13,14). Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, the most common overall cause of acute diarrhea as defined in prospective studies (15)(16)(17), is captured by GeoSentinel as acute diarrhea with no cause because this diagnosis requires specialized testing that is not used in routine clinical practice. Travel-related postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome, which often results in extensive investigation and several clinic visits, is an increasingly recognized but inconsistently defined entity that accounted for nearly one half of travelers presenting with nonspecific chronic diarrhea (18)(19)(20)(21).…”

Behaviors and Perceptions of Japanese Tourists Affecting Diarrheal Illness and Health Care Need Assessment: A Questionnaire Study

“…Moderate TD refers to the passing of 1-2 unformed stools with at least 1 additional symptom or more unformed stools without additional symptoms. Mild TD refers to the passing of 1-2 unformed stools without additional symptoms (13).…”