Travellers' Diarrhoea: How to Avoid It and What to Do, Advice from Medway Pharmacy

What is travellers' diarrhoea?

Travellers' diarrhoea is the most common illness affecting people who travel abroad. It is usually caused by eating food or drinking water contaminated with bacteria such as Shigella, Salmonella, E. coli or campylobacter, and sometimes by viruses or parasites. Symptoms typically include loose or watery stools, stomach cramps, nausea and sometimes fever.

Most cases are unpleasant but short-lived, settling within a few days. The main risk is dehydration, particularly in young children and older adults, so replacing lost fluids is the priority.

A recent reminder: Cape Verde

Since October 2025, UK health agencies have reported clusters of Shigella and Salmonella infection in travellers returning from the Cape Verde Islands, particularly the Santa Maria and Boa Vista resort areas. By June 2026, 112 of 164 confirmed Shigella cases and 70 of 99 confirmed Salmonella cases involved people who had travelled to Cape Verde, and European health authorities have linked more than 1,000 cases across 13 countries to the islands since 2022.

The lesson is an important one: stomach infections are not limited to budget travel or remote destinations. They can be picked up even at popular, high-end and all-inclusive resorts, so good hygiene habits matter wherever you go.

How to prevent it: food and water hygiene

There are no vaccines for the most common causes of travellers' diarrhoea, so prevention comes down to careful food and water hygiene:

• Wash your hands often, especially before eating or preparing food and after using the toilet.
• Eat food that has been freshly and thoroughly cooked and is served piping hot.
• Where tap water may be unsafe, drink only bottled or boiled water, and use it for brushing your teeth too.
• Avoid ice in drinks, salads that may have been washed in tap water, and fruit you have not peeled yourself.
• Avoid swallowing water from pools, lakes and ponds.

What to do if you get ill abroad

• Drink plenty of safe fluids: bottled water, or tap water that has been boiled and cooled.
• Use oral rehydration solution to replace lost salts and water, especially for children and older adults.
• Seek medical help if symptoms last more than a few days, or if there is blood in the stools, a high fever, or signs of dehydration.
• If you or your partner has had diarrhoea, avoid sexual contact for at least 48 hours, as some infections spread this way.

Who is at higher risk?

Babies and young children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems or long-term health conditions are more likely to become seriously unwell, including a small risk of complications such as sepsis. If this applies to you, speak to your GP or specialist before travelling: you may be advised to carry a stand-by course of antibiotics to start in an emergency until you can reach medical care.

How Medway Pharmacy can help

While there is no vaccine for Shigella or Salmonella, vaccines against typhoid and hepatitis A protect against other illnesses spread by contaminated food and water, and are worth considering for many destinations. We can also advise on rehydration, supply travellers' diarrhoea treatment, and recommend what to pack.

Book a travel health appointment at 465 Canterbury Street, Gillingham, ME7 5LJ. Open 7 days a week until 10pm, with same-day appointments. Call 01634 575805.

Frequently asked questions