Sticking to bottled water and peeled vegetables probably isn’t enough to protect you from traveller’s diarrhoea. The best way to stay safe? Make sure the food you eat, especially in restaurants, is piping hot.
Picture: Travel Oriented
That’s because food can become contaminated at any point, including by kitchen workers. Cooking kills off bacteria, and if it’s served while it’s still hot, it’s likely to be safe. Anything sitting on a buffet for hours, on the other hand, could be growing germs.
This tip comes from NPR as they bust a few myths about traveller’s diarrhoea, including the idea that it’s caused by harmless bacteria that you just aren’t used to. The culprits are typically bad-guy bacteria like E. coli that would make anybody sick, but the locals are immune because they got sick as children. That means you can’t build up a tolerance to them during your vacation — although if you moved there, you’d probably stop getting sick after a few years.
Read the full article for more on how to protect yourself, and what to do when the dreaded “Delhi belly” strikes — the old advice to down a full course of antibiotics is no longer recommended.
Can You Protect Your Tummy From Traveller’s Diarrhoea? [NPR]
Comments