Bugs When Traveling

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Travel-related Food & Water Pathogens — Categorized

List grouped into Short-term, Long-term, and Dormant/Latent categories.

Note This file is meant as a quick reference.

Short-Term (acute, days)	Long-Term / Prolonged (weeks → months)	Dormant / Latent (months → years)
Bacteria Escherichia coli (ETEC, EAEC, EHEC — traveler’s diarrhea; EHEC may cause HUS) Salmonella (non-typhoidal) Shigella Campylobacter Vibrio parahaemolyticus Vibrio vulnificus (raw shellfish; severe in liver disease) Yersinia enterocolitica Aeromonas & Plesiomonas Toxin-mediated bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (preformed toxin — rapid vomiting) Bacillus cereus (emetic & diarrheal types — e.g., fried rice) Clostridium perfringens (cafeteria/stew outbreaks) Viruses Norovirus Rotavirus (children) Marine toxins / Chemicals Scombroid (histamine fish poisoning) Ciguatera Shellfish toxins (paralytic, diarrheic, amnesic) Food additives, pesticides, heavy metals	Bacteria Salmonella Typhi / Paratyphi (typhoid fever) Listeria monocytogenes (pregnancy, neonates, immunocompromised) Campylobacter (post-infectious GBS, reactive arthritis) Shigella (reactive arthritis) Helicobacter pylori (chronic gastritis/ulcer disease — possible food/water transmission) Viruses Hepatitis A (acute hepatitis; weeks → months) Hepatitis E (can be prolonged or chronic in immunocompromised) Parasites Giardia lamblia (chronic/IBS-like symptoms) Cryptosporidium (weeks; longer if immunocompromised) Cyclospora (waxing/waning diarrhea weeks → months) Entamoeba histolytica (dysentery, liver abscess) Toxoplasma gondii (tissue cysts; reactivation if immunosuppressed) Marine toxins (long-term sequelae) Ciguatera (neurological symptoms can persist)	Parasites Entamoeba histolytica (silent carriage → later liver abscess/dysentery) Giardia lamblia (intermittent flares) Taenia spp. (tapeworms) — intestinal persistence; Taenia solium → neurocysticercosis Strongyloides stercoralis (auto-infection; decades-long persistence; severe if immunosuppressed) Plasmodium vivax & ovale (malaria hypnozoites — relapses; travel-related but not foodborne) Toxoplasma gondii (latent tissue cysts) Bacteria / Chronic Carriage Salmonella Typhi (chronic gallbladder carriage) Helicobacter pylori (long-term stomach colonisation)

Short-Term (acute, days)

Long-Term / Prolonged (weeks → months)

Dormant / Latent (months → years)

Bacteria

Escherichia coli (ETEC, EAEC, EHEC — traveler’s diarrhea; EHEC may cause HUS)
Salmonella (non-typhoidal)
Shigella
Campylobacter
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
Vibrio vulnificus (raw shellfish; severe in liver disease)
Yersinia enterocolitica
Aeromonas & Plesiomonas

Toxin-mediated bacteria

Staphylococcus aureus (preformed toxin — rapid vomiting)
Bacillus cereus (emetic & diarrheal types — e.g., fried rice)
Clostridium perfringens (cafeteria/stew outbreaks)

Viruses

Norovirus
Rotavirus (children)

Marine toxins / Chemicals

Scombroid (histamine fish poisoning)
Ciguatera
Shellfish toxins (paralytic, diarrheic, amnesic)
Food additives, pesticides, heavy metals

Bacteria

Salmonella Typhi / Paratyphi (typhoid fever)
Listeria monocytogenes (pregnancy, neonates, immunocompromised)
Campylobacter (post-infectious GBS, reactive arthritis)
Shigella (reactive arthritis)
Helicobacter pylori (chronic gastritis/ulcer disease — possible food/water transmission)

Viruses

Hepatitis A (acute hepatitis; weeks → months)
Hepatitis E (can be prolonged or chronic in immunocompromised)

Parasites

Giardia lamblia (chronic/IBS-like symptoms)
Cryptosporidium (weeks; longer if immunocompromised)
Cyclospora (waxing/waning diarrhea weeks → months)
Entamoeba histolytica (dysentery, liver abscess)
Toxoplasma gondii (tissue cysts; reactivation if immunosuppressed)

Marine toxins (long-term sequelae)

Ciguatera (neurological symptoms can persist)

Parasites

Entamoeba histolytica (silent carriage → later liver abscess/dysentery)
Giardia lamblia (intermittent flares)
Taenia spp. (tapeworms) — intestinal persistence; Taenia solium → neurocysticercosis
Strongyloides stercoralis (auto-infection; decades-long persistence; severe if immunosuppressed)
Plasmodium vivax & ovale (malaria hypnozoites — relapses; travel-related but not foodborne)
Toxoplasma gondii (latent tissue cysts)

Bacteria / Chronic Carriage

Salmonella Typhi (chronic gallbladder carriage)
Helicobacter pylori (long-term stomach colonisation)

Legend: This table focuses on food & water–related pathogens and clinically important toxins. It includes regionally important organisms and non-infectious causes that can mimic foodborne illness.

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