Traveller's diarrhea

From IKE

Traveller's diarrhea (aka Montezuma's revenge, Bali belly, and the Rangoon runs) is a condition in which a traveler gets diarrhea. As many as 30-80% of travellers suffer from some form of traveller's diarrhea, especially those traveling to the tropics.

This near-fatal condition can be caused by bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni, salmonella or shigella. Parasites such as Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica, Cryptosporidium parvum and malaria may also be responsible.

Viruses are associated with one-third of all traveller's diarrhea cases, examples of which are norwalk and rotavirus. Approximately one-fifth to one half of all cases of travellers' diarrhea are idiopathic and are speculated to have something to do with the gastrointestinal system's response to unfamiliar microorganisms.