title: ▾Rifaximin for the treatment of travellers' diarrhoea?
abstract: Travellers' diarrhoea (TD) is one of the most common illnesses to occur in people who travel overseas, and usually results from consumption of food or water contaminated with bacteria.(1-4) Between 2004 and 2008 just over 24,000 laboratory confirmed gastrointestinal infections were reported in those who had recently travelled abroad from England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Over half the infections were caused by non-typhoidal Salmonella species (spp). As most infections are never formally diagnosed, this is believed to be a huge underestimate of the burden of TD.(4) ▾Rifaximin is a rifamycin antibacterial agent that has recently been licensed in the UK for the treatment of TD in adults. The summary of product characteristics (SPC) notes that rifaximin "may shorten the duration of diarrhoea when this is associated with non-invasive strains of E.coli".(5) Here we discuss the evidence for rifaximin and how it fits in with current management strategies.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D012294:Rifamycins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000078262:Rifaximin; D012307:Risk Factors; D014195:Travel
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D012294:Rifamycins; D000078262:Rifaximin