Sunday, March 25, 2007
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Don't* Drink tap water or use it to brush your teeth. Use bottled water instead.
* Use ice made from tap water. If in doubt, do without.
* Eat raw fruit or vegetables -- even lettuce and fruit salad. Exception: fruit that you peel yourself.
* Eat raw or rare fish or meat.
* Eat meat or shellfish that's not hot when served to you.
* Eat unpasteurized dairy products.
* Eat food from street vendors.
* Swim in streams or lakes.
Do* Keep bottled water with you all the time, and keep some by the sink for brushing your teeth.
* Use antiseptic gel or hand wipes instead of tap water to clean your hands.
* Drink canned or bottled carbonated drinks (skip the ice!), beer, wine, and coffee and tea made with boiled water.
* Consider taking Pepto-Bismol as a preventive measure. According to the CDC, some studies show it might help ward off travelers' diarrhea. But it contains aspirin, so check with your doctor before taking it.
SOURCES: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov; search for "travelers' diarrhea"). "Preventing and Treating Traveler's Diarrhea," American Family Physician, July 1999 (http://www.aafp.org).
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