infectious diseases

What are the most frequent dietary mistakes among travelers?

One of the most frequent mistakes made by travelers going abroad is to use ice . You arrive in a warm place, you can enjoy an aperitif and it is not thought that ice cubes, obtained with water that is not hygienically safe, can transmit diseases.

On the food front, precautions include:

- To handle food, take care of hand hygiene, cooking, utensils and containers;

- Cook the food well: all the parts, even the innermost ones, must reach a temperature of at least 70 ° C;

- Avoid contact between raw and cooked foods;

- Use only drinking water from absolutely sealed bottles (even for brushing teeth). In the absence of drinking water, consume it after boiling;

- Raw fruits and vegetables should be consumed only after having peeled and washed them with "safe" water;

- Choose pasteurized or otherwise processed products to ensure their safety (eg pasteurized milk);

- Consume food immediately after cooking or, if it is not eaten immediately, put it back in the refrigerator and store it for a short time (or freeze it), then heat it at high temperature before consumption;

- Protect food from insects, rodents and other animals;

- Do not consume raw or undercooked fish or seafood;

- Don't buy groceries from street vendors.

In addition to adopting hygiene standards when consuming food and drinks while traveling, to reduce the risk of infection it is essential to avoid bathing in potentially contaminated water. Some examples of diseases that can be contracted through the consumption of food or water are traveller's diarrhea, typhoid fever, cholera and hepatitis A.