Another CISTM session was on Traveller’s diarrhoea the most common problem of travellers. The bacterial causes of diarrhoea are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics so harder to treat. In addition recent studies have shown that travellers who take antibiotics to treat traveller’s diarrhoea are more likely to carry resistant bacteria in their bowel after they return home. So we should perhaps reserve antibiotics for diarrhoea for severe cases only.

In late May I was fortunate to attend the Conference of the International Society of Travel Medicine in beautiful Quebec. This meeting is held every 2 years and is the premier travel medicine conference. With 126 oral presentations and 132 posters I was spoilt for choice and my only complaint was the usual difficulty deciding which session to attend when 5 were happening concurrently.  In my blog I will share with you some of the many things I learnt at the meeting.

Cruise Ship Travel

Norovirus can be a nuisance on cruise ships and a speaker recommended that you use your own cabin bathroom rather than shared ones if there is an outbreak. As alcohol hand wash doesn’t reliably kill norovirus it is better to wash hands than rely on alcohol hand wash. Washing should last 20 seconds (which is singing Happy Birthday through twice!)

The speakers weren’t very keen on scopoderm patches for seasickness preferring antihistamines.