New insights and directions in travelers' diarrhea

Since first studied more than 5 decades ago the risk of travelers' diarrhea for persons going from industrialized regions to developing countries has remained high. Most cases of illness are caused by bacterial agents. Travelers' diarrhea is associated with temporary disability and it may progress to chronic intestinal illness and postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome. Exercising care about food and beverage intake, the use of rifaximin prophylaxis for selective patients, and self treatment of all resultant illness will continue to be the way in which the disease is prevented or managed best by travelers. Future approaches will be aimed at making host regions safer and providing more effective methods of treatment and prevention of enteric disease during short-term international travel.