Abstract

BERAUN-VILLA, Melissa  and  VALDEZ, Luis Manuel. Traveler’s Diarrhea. Rev Med Hered [online]. 2013, vol.24, n.1, pp.54-61. ISSN 1018-130X.

Travelers’ diarrhea is one of the most common conditions that affect travelers from industrialized countries who visit tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Twenty to fifty percent of travelers will suffer from this condition, and one fifth of these subjects will have diarrhea severe enough to affect their travel plans. Illness is characterized by the occurrence of diarrhea, associated with other gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and sometimes, in association of inflammatory diarrhea, fever and bloody stools. Among the most common etiologic agents Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Shigella are among the most common bacterial pathogens, although in close to one half of cases culture results are negative. In cases of persistent diarrhea parasites must be ruled out, and in endemic areas special stains must be ordered to rule agents like Cyclospora cayetanensis. In patients with Travelers’ diarrhea empiric treatment with antibiotics is indicated, reducing the duration of illness. In the absence of fever or bloody diarrhea loperamide can be used. Prevention is important, especially in high risk patients or those in whom the trip must not be affected by the illness.

Keywords : Escherichia coli; Cyclospora; antibacterial agents; loperamide.

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