Traveller's Diarrhoea
Traveller’s diarrhoea means acute loose stools beginning during or soon after travel. Bacteria are common causes, but viruses and parasites also occur, so treatment depends on severity and clinical pattern.
Key points
- Oral rehydration is the priority, especially for children, older adults and people with frequent watery stool or vomiting.
- Blood, high fever, severe pain, persistent symptoms or immune suppression changes the need for testing and treatment.
- Antibiotics offer limited benefit in mild illness and can cause adverse effects or resistance; invasive diarrhoea needs a different approach.
Catalogue matches do not identify the organism or indicate that an antibiotic or anti-motility medicine is safe.
What helps prevent dehydration?
Small frequent amounts of correctly mixed oral rehydration solution replace water and salts. Very sugary drinks may worsen diarrhoea. Continue suitable food as tolerated and monitor urine, alertness and dizziness.
When might an antibiotic be used?
Clinicians consider functional severity, dysentery, fever, destination resistance and patient risk. Rifaximin has selected non-invasive bacterial uses but is not suitable for fever or bloody diarrhoea. Persistent illness may be parasitic and need testing.
When to seek urgent care
Seek urgent care for fainting, confusion, very low urine output, inability to keep fluids down, heavy bloody stool, severe abdominal pain or high fever with deterioration.