Have parents ever asked such a question: the baby is obviously alive and kicking at home, and the body is great, but why is it easy to have diarrhea as soon as he goes out? In fact, it is very likely that traveler's diarrhea is at work.
What is traveler's diarrhea?
Traveler's diarrhea, as the name suggests, is a diarrheal disease that occurs during travel, whether it is tourism, business trips, family visits, etc.
Although traveler's diarrhea is also known as "adaptation", traveler's diarrhea is not caused by geographical or climatic factors, but is related to bacterial, viral and other pathogens. Bacterial pathogens are a common cause of traveler's diarrhea**, with approximately 80 to 90 percent of traveler's diarrhea being caused by bacteria, with toxigenic Escherichia coli being the most common [1].
Why do babies get traveler's diarrhea?
So why are babies susceptible to traveler's diarrhea? This is mainly related to the baby's own physiological characteristics and travel environment.
On the one hand, the baby's immune system is not fully developed, the autoimmunity is poor, and the adaptability to the environment is not as good as that of adults, and when they arrive in a new environment and are exposed to new pathogens, they are more susceptible to infection.
On the other hand, the exertion of travel may affect your baby's rest, making their immune system more vulnerable and increasing the risk of illness. In addition, dietary changes during travel are also an important factor, as your baby may be exposed to different foods when you go out, increasing the risk of "getting sick from the mouth".
How can I prevent traveler's diarrhea?
Prevention of traveler's diarrhoea can be reduced by reducing exposure to pathogens by improving hygiene behaviors, such as washing hands frequently and not eating in unhygienic places.
On the other hand, parents can also consider vaccinating their babies. There is an oral vaccine on the market, RBS WC cholera vaccine, which is effective in preventing traveler's diarrhea caused by toxigenic E. coli.
A prospective, double-blind study of adult travellers travelling from Finland to Morocco showed that "the RBS WC vaccine was effective in protecting against any of the enteric pathogens in ETEC and 82% against diarrhea caused by Salmonella enterica in ETEC".
The 6th edition of the Cholera Control Manual compiled by the Disease Control Bureau of the Ministry of Health also pointed out that the RBS WC cholera vaccine is based on the synergy of antibacterial and antitoxin immunity against cholera, so it has a good cross-protection against epidemic diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (including traveler's diarrhea is common**).
In addition, traveler's diarrhea is not only contracted by children, but is more likely to be infected than adults, so it is recommended that both children and adults go to their local customs international travel health care center or community health service center one month in advance to get vaccinated.
Data**: 1] "Traveler's Diarrhea".