Avoiding Contaminated Food

Contaminated food is a frequent source of common infections. In general you should have a high level of suspicion of any food presented to you unless you know it is made from fresh ingredients and has been thoroughly cooked. The following guidelines will help reduce the risk of contracting diseases from contaminated food:

Always wash your hands before eating and dry them thoroughly on a clean cloth Thoroughly wash all fruit and vegetables before eating, salads are best avoided but if eaten should be washed well and left to soak in water containing chlorine based sterilising tablets or household bleach (4 drops per litre) similarly washing in water at 60°C will reduce the risk. If fruit is to be eaten raw peel it first

Protect food being left for any period of time with a fly net and don't eat food left un-refrigerated for more than 2 - 4 hours. Above all don't eat undercooked or raw meat, fish or shell fish even if they are the all part of the local culture.

Don't drink unpasteurised cow, sheep or goats' milk. If in doubt you can pasteurise by bringing almost to the boil and then cooling, likewise dairy products such as ice cream, butter and cheese, if from an uncertain source, should be avoided.

Don't eat food left un-refrigerated for more than 2 - 4 hours.

Avoiding Contaminated Water

Water is a frequent source of infection. While most cities and large towns have large piped water systems but the water is only safe to drink if it has been fully treated and chlorinated. Even in areas where the tap water is safe to drink the level of chemical treatment may be sufficient to render it unpalatable to the UK traveler. To be entirely safe the following alternative means of sterilisation are available.

The simplest form of sterilisation is to bring water to the boil and then let to cool off before drinking. Alternatively chemical disinfectants can be used however these are often ineffective if the water is visibly cloudy. Examples of such chemical disenfectants include:

Iodine is very effective. 4 drops of 2% tincture of iodine should be added to each litre of water and left for 15 minutes. Prolonged use of iodine should be avoided (longer than 6 weeks).

Sterotabs and Puritabs. These are chlorine based tablets that can be purchased in most outdoor shops.

In an emergency use household bleach (2 to 4 drops per litre of clear water) and leave for 15 minutes, this is safe and effective but will taste of chlorine.

Iodine resin water purifiers: These light modern systems both filter and purify fresh water from any source.

Remember ice may be made from contaminated water and is therefore not necisarilarly safe, bottled water and drinks are normally safe, especially fizzy drinks. Always use safe water for brushing teeth and for washing vegetables or salad which are to be eaten raw (the water from the hot tap in your hotel is likely to be safer than the water from the cold tap but let it run for atleast a minute first). Above all don't drink the water from open wells and rivers unless using an iodine resin water purifier.