What it is
Travellers can lower the risk by drinking bottled or boiled water, avoiding raw food, and washing hands. A vaccine is available for some travellers.
Most people recover with oral rehydration solution. Severe cases need fluids through a drip and sometimes antibiotics.
Common signs
- Large amounts of watery diarrhoea, sometimes looking like rice water
- Being sick
- Leg cramps
- Signs of dehydration: thirst, dry mouth, peeing less, dizziness
How it is usually diagnosed
- A stool sample tested in a lab
- Questions about recent travel
Records worth keeping
Keeping these together makes each appointment easier, especially when you see a new doctor:
- Stool test results
- Travel dates and destinations
- Travel vaccination records
Questions to ask your doctor
- How much oral rehydration solution do I need?
- Do I need antibiotics?
- How do I protect the people I live with?
When to get help right away
Call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department if you have:
- Signs of severe dehydration such as confusion, very little or no pee, or fainting: call 112
This page is general information. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace a doctor who knows your history. Medfold keeps your records organised; it does not interpret them.