• If you suspect the local water may not be clean, boil it or drink bottled water. Remember the water you may get in ice-cubes and cleaning your teeth.
• You can use iodine tablets or drops if you have no choice but to drink local water.
• Make sure meat, poultry, fish and seafood is well done and eat it hot if at all possible. Eat only cooked vegetables and avoid salads.
• Peel all fruit, including tomatoes.
• Remember: Cook it, Boil it, Peel it or forget it!

Water Purification

Not usually necessary in clean resorts or large city hotels. If you are off the beaten track however, to avoid infections - always try to drink bottled water. If not available, boil all water. If this is not possible, use water purification methods.

• Chlorine tablets can be used to purify water, although iodine is probably better.
• Tincture of iodine is available from your pharmacist. Used at a concentration of concentration of 8 mgs per litre and left for 10 minutes, it will destroy bacteria, viruses and cysts.
• Use 4 drops of tincture of iodine to 1 litre of water or one drop to a glass. Wait 20 min if water is very cold or contaminated with organic material.
• Follow instructions carefully. Avoid in pregnancy and in the very young. Not for long-term use.
• The taste of iodine can be largely removed adding dissolvable vitamin C tablets, lime or lemon juice ( after 10 minutes, to give it time to work).

• Electrolyte replacement sachets such as dioralyte or electrolade. They contain a mixture of salts and glucose. Reconstituted with water, they replace lost salts and fluids from diarrhoea. (obtainable over the counter at pharmacies)
• Antibiotics. If you are likely to be off the beaten track it may be worth taking away some antibiotic ie ciprofloxacin (on prescription only), in case you develop diarrhoea. This shouldn't be necessary on a typical 2 week package. This option is unavailable on the NHS for this purpose. Private prescriptions cost £13 and in addition you will need to pay the pharmacist for the drug itself.
• Imodium. This is an anti-diarrhoeal medicine which is useful in mild cases of diarrhoea for adults only. It can help stop the need to visit the toilet so frequently but is not generally recommended if you are ill with a temperature in association with the diarrhoea. Available over the counter.
• Remember...Always seek medical advice if diarrhoea is severe or prolonged, or if there is any blood in the stool. Children can dehydrate quickly. It is better to be safe than sorry.