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Diarrhoea - prevention and advice for travellers - Background information
What is it?
- Traveller's diarrhoea is a clinical syndrome associated with contaminated food or water that occurs during or shortly after travel [WHO, 2009].
- Acute watery diarrhoea and abdominal pain and cramps are experienced in 80% of cases of traveller's diarrhoea [Dupont, 2009].
- Most people with traveller's diarrhoea experience symptoms within 2–3 days of arrival at their foreign destination, with more than 90% of cases starting within the first 2 weeks [Al-Abri et al, 2005].
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