Medical Treatment
Self-treatment is a realistic option for travellers who may not have access to reliable health care while travelling. In fact, many developing countries laboratories lack experienced personnel who can reliably identify the organism that’s causing your diarrhoea - so you may often better off treating your best guess than depending on a laboratory for a diagnosis.
All cases of diarrhoea in the first 1-2 weeks of travel are likely to be due to bacteria. However, bacterial diarrhoea can be acquired at any point in one’s travels, from the first day to the last. The risk of acquiring organisms with longer incubation periods, such as Giardia Lamblia (giardia) and Entamoeba histolytica (amoeba) increases for longer-term travellers. These two organisms are known as protozoa. TD can also be caused by viruses, but these tiny organisms account for a small percentage of TD cases.
Viral infections cannot be cured by antibiotics, and they usually go away by themselves within a few days.
In cases involving what is stated to be a viral infection, HolidayTravelWatch continues to receive reports of tour companies/hotel management organising medical attention for holidaymakers. The treatment on offer ranges from IV rehydration to antibiotic treatment. It is an established fact that antibiotics are not considered to be an appropriate treatment for viral infections – if in doubt, contact your doctor from your resort before allowing yourself to be subjected to such treatment. If you are in doubt about the proposed medical treatment, contact your GP from abroad or the NHS advice line - unless of course it is an emergency!
Medical treatment in developing countries can range from excellent to severely lacking. Stool examinations are often unreliable; technicians may report organisms that are not in the stool and miss ones that are there. This can lead to treatment with the wrong drug, while delaying treatment with the suitable drug. Thus, self-diagnosis and treatment may be appropriate in some countries where medical care may not be reliable. If you become so ill that you need to be in a hospital, then try to find the best possible hospital and don’t delay care because of your fear of treatment.
HolidayTravelWatch recommends that it is always wise to see your GP on your return to the UK, and request that he takes stool samples to ascertain the nature of any possible disease. Provide the GP with as much information as possible – consider keeping a diary of your illness both during your holiday and upon your return – this will help your GP to determine the range of tests that should be applied.
If you encounter any difficulty, then you should contact your local environmental health department who will advise you further – this recommendation is very important if you work with children, within care homes, food production or any other sensitive industry.
We have more information on preparing for travel regarding disease and infection here.
HTW has noted that amongst the submissions to the Committee on Toxicity (COT) it has been suggested that the symptoms highlighted by crew and passengers were akin to the condition of hyperventilation.
HTW has for many years received reports from concerned holiday makers or independent travellers as to the safety of their aircraft, ship or boat, train or road transport.
