Hygiene
With good hygiene, you can prevent many health problems, even when traveling. We have put together some tips that can help you avoid infections from bacteria, viruses, and diseases.
Here are some tips:
- Wash your hands with soap and water after every visit to the toilet and before preparing or eating food. Also wash your hands after any contact with potentially contaminated material.
- The use of hand sanitiser is recommended.
- If you have any cuts or wounds, it is important to disinfect them properly and cover them with a clean bandage. Always consult a doctor for larger or infected wounds, as well as for scratches or bites from animals.
- Do not prepare food when you are experiencing diarrhoea.
- Do not eat salads or uncooked vegetables. Both the vegetables and the water used to rinse them can be contaminated.
Avoid eating fruit that is sold already cut or peeled. Always peel your own fruit using a clean knife or wash the fruit with bottled water.
Always cook meat, poultry, fish, and products containing eggs thoroughly and shortly before consumption. Never eat these products raw or undercooked.
- Ice is a well-known source of foodborne illness. Pre-packaged factory ice is safe to eat, if the packaging is intact when you buy it.
Dairy products sold in local shops or street stalls are generally not reliable for consumption.
- If there is any doubt about the safety of drinking water, do not use it. This applies not only to drinking but also to activities like brushing your teeth.
When buying bottled water, check that the original seal is on the bottle and that it has not been opened before.
Ice cubes can pose a risk if they are made from contaminated drinking water. Pathogens can survive freezing, so it is advisable to avoid ice cubes if you are uncertain about the safety of the drinking water.
- In tropical areas, food can spoil very quickly. Therefore, it is advisable not to prepare food too far in advance and not to leave it out of the fridge for too long. After preparation, all the food should be sealed tightly and stored properly to protect it from insects. Mashed food, raw fish and shellfish are particularly prone to spoilage.