ABSTRACT
Contrary to previously held beliefs, foods pose far greater risks of enteric diseases for tourists than water. This is partly due to the practice by many travelers of not drinking community water because of anecdotes about its potential as a vehicle of enteric pathogens. Of greater consequences, however, is that personal action to improve the safety of purchased foods are more difficult than seeking tap water substitutes or disinfecting small quantities of water. All raw foods (e. g., milk, meat, produce) are subject to contamination. Therefore, salads or other dishes made from them pose risks. Milk is often not pasteurized. Hence, products such as cheese made from it would also be potentially hazardous. Eggs may contain pathogens in their yolks, or their shells may be contaminated. Meat and meat prod ucts, particularly those prepared in continental restaurants, may be cooked insuf ficiently to kill pathogens in an effort to provide the style of meats preferred by many American and European customers. Certain species of fish are toxic, partic ularly if harvested from tropical and subtropical insular waters. Raw seafoods are common vehicles of Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, hepatitis A virus, and small, round structured viruses.
