Gastroenterologist, ‘in the summer +30% toxin infections, how to defend yourself when travelling’

2023-08-10 16:45:26

“With +30% of cases, food poisoning is the most frequent food poisoning in summer. They manifest themselves with various symptoms – vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and chills – and are caused by various pathogens, mostly bacteria, viruses and parasites, responsible for gastroenteritis. For this reason, especially when traveling and in vacation spots, we need to pay close attention to what we eat and drink”. This was stated to time.news Salute by Edoardo Vincenzo Savarino, associate professor at the University of Padua as well as a member of the scientific committee of Sige, the Italian society of gastroenterology and digestive endoscopy.

In most cases of food poisoning, the food is contaminated by bacteria, such as “salmonella, campylobacter, shigella or Escherichia coli”. Bacterial and parasitic infections are favored “by the heat – explains the gastroenterologist – and the fact that we drink and eat more often outside the home, so we are substantially more at risk”.

The alarm bells are different: it starts with vomiting, then diarrhea, stomach cramps and abdominal pain. “When the infection is more marked – highlights Savarino – fever up to 39 degrees and chills also appear. These symptoms, although very annoying, disappear completely spontaneously after 3-4 days. If the symptoms occur when travelling, it is advisable to treat vomiting with antiemetics and diarrhea with probiotics or intestinal antibiotics”.

The transmission of toxin infections generally occurs through contaminated water, food that is not properly stored and prepared. Under accusation “uncooked foods, tap water and drinks served in carafes in general. It is better to ingest cooked food – warns Savarino – and drink from the bottle with a stopper”, especially if you are in places where collective catering is used. And since humans too “can be vectors of these parasites through their hands, it is good to wash them often or sanitize them with disinfectant gels that we have come to know due to the Covid pandemic, as well as clean the surfaces where you eat well”.

Also “hydrating is very important. Drinking is essential – she underlines – because many liquids are lost due to diarrhea, particular attention should be given to children and the elderly ”. Finally, if the disturbance persists “once you return from vacation it is advisable to perform some tests, including coproculture and coproparasitology, aimed at finding particular microorganisms and parasites in the feces”, she concludes.