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Medical Author: John P. Cunha, DO
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Travelers from temperate regions of the world frequently experience diarrhea four days to two weeks after arriving in certain areas of the world. This illness is called travelers' diarrhea. Other colorful and humorous terms used to describe this illness include "Montezuma's Revenge," the "Aztec Two Step," and "Turista" in Mexico, the "Delhi Belly" in India, and the "Hong Kong Dog" in the Far East.
Twenty percent to 50% of travelers may develop diarrhea depending on the region of the world they visit. Diarrhea is the most common illness of travelers. In general, travelers at risk for diarrhea commonly come from industrialized nations and travel to high-risk areas that are primarily within developing or less industrialized nations of the world, including Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Areas of lesser risk include China and some Caribbean nations. Travel to areas of the United States, Canada, Northern Europe, and Australia pose the lowest risk to travelers.
Men and women are at equal risk for developing travelers' diarrhea. Younger individuals are more commonly afflicted, perhaps because of more adventurous eating habits. People with disorders that compromise their immune system (such as HIV, cancer, chemotherapy, steroid use), diabetics and people with underlying abdominal disorders (irritable bowel syndrome, colitis) are more susceptible to travelers' diarrhea. Interestingly, people on acid blockers for their stomachs [like famotidine (Pepcid), cimetidine (Tagamet), omeprazole (Prilosec), esomeprazole (Nexium)] also have a higher susceptibility to travelers' diarrhea because they have less stomach acid to protect them from the bacteria that cause the condition.
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