Etiology of traveller's diarrhea in Spanish travellers to developing countries.

A cohort of 337 Spanish travellers to developing countries is presented. They all consulted us for traveller's diarrhea (TD). Bacteriological, parasitological and virological examinations were performed. A bacterial cause was found in 61.65% of travellers. Toxigenic and classical pathogenic Escherichia coli strains were the main bacterial agents. In comparison with other studies, Spanish travellers harboured Y. enterocolitica and EPEC organisms as a cause of TD. G. lamblia and E. histolytica were the most frequently isolated protozoa. Helminths were found in only 9 patients. No rotavirus infections were diagnosed. Previous antibiotic treatment had been taken by 161 patients. The percentage of isolated enteropathogens was similar in travellers who had previously taken antibiotic treatment and those who had not.