Overview
Food and water safety is an important part of travel health because germs, toxins, and chemicals can contaminate meals and drinks. Risks vary by destination, sanitation systems, season, and where food is prepared. Illness may be mild, but some infections can become serious, especially for young children, older adults, pregnant people, and people with weakened immune systems.
Key Symptoms
Illness from unsafe food or water often causes diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and fever. Some people may also develop dehydration, weakness, headache, or blood in the stool. Certain infections can cause jaundice, lasting fatigue, or severe abdominal pain.
Causes and Risk Factors
Common causes include bacteria, viruses, and parasites in contaminated food or water. Risk can increase with untreated tap water, ice from unsafe water, raw or undercooked meat or seafood, food kept at unsafe temperatures, unpasteurized milk products, and raw produce that may have been washed in unsafe water. Street food is not always unsafe, but food handling, storage, and cleanliness matter.
Who Is Affected
Anyone traveling can be affected, including tourists, business travelers, backpackers, aid workers, and people visiting friends and relatives. Risk may be higher for travelers going to places with limited water treatment or sanitation. Babies, young children, older adults, pregnant people, and people with chronic illness or weakened immune systems may have more severe illness.
Prevention
Choose drinks that are sealed, boiled, or properly treated, and avoid swallowing water from taps, wells, lakes, or rivers unless it has been made safer. Eat foods that are freshly cooked and served hot, and be cautious with raw salads, cut fruit you did not peel yourself, raw shellfish, and unpasteurized dairy. Wash hands with soap and water when possible, especially before eating and after using the toilet; if that is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Consider travel vaccines recommended for your destination, such as hepatitis A or typhoid, based on advice from a qualified healthcare professional or official travel health sources.
Treatment Categories
Many mild illnesses improve with rest and careful replacement of fluids. Oral rehydration solutions can help replace water and salts lost through diarrhea or vomiting. Medical treatment depends on the cause and severity, so travelers with ongoing, severe, or unusual symptoms should seek local medical care.
When to Seek Medical Care
Seek medical care if you have diarrhea lasting more than a few days, high fever, signs of dehydration, severe abdominal pain, blood in the stool, repeated vomiting, or yellowing of the skin or eyes. Children, pregnant travelers, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems should get medical advice sooner. It is also wise to seek care after suspected exposure to unsafe food or water if you have a chronic medical condition or concerning symptoms.
When It May Be an Emergency
Emergency care may be needed for confusion, fainting, trouble staying awake, seizure, inability to keep down any fluids, very little or no urination, severe weakness, or signs of severe dehydration. Get urgent help right away for severe allergic reactions after food exposure, black or bloody vomit, or severe belly swelling or pain. Follow local emergency services guidance in the country you are visiting.