title: Travel style is a major risk factor for diarrhoea in India: a prospective cohort study.
abstract: Although some studies suggested specific foods/beverages as risk factors for travellers' diarrhoea (TD), details of transmission remain unclear. We assessed the influence of travel style (luxury/middle-class versus backpacking) on TD risk. TD attack rates were compared in a prospective study among travellers to India at the University of Zurich's Travel Clinic. Information on consumption of foods/beverages was collected. Seventy-one luxury/middle-class travellers and 21 backpackers completed the study; overall 37% suffered from TD (62% backpackers, 30% luxury/middle-class travellers, OR 4.43, p 0.022). Travel style rather than the consumption of specific foods/beverages appears to be a risk factor for TD development.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, Department of Public Health, Division of Infectious Diseases/Travel Clinic, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Schindler
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Basel University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Jaeger
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, Department of Biostatistics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Held
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, Department of Public Health, Division of Infectious Diseases/Travel Clinic, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Department of Medicine and Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hatz
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, Department of Public Health, Division of Infectious Diseases/Travel Clinic, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: silja.buehler@ifspm.uzh.ch.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bühler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014195:Travel; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Food hygiene; India; travel; travel style; travellers' diarrhoea