Food Poisoning

[Craig Bernthal]

What to avoid on the Camino? Especially when it gets hot?
One year a friend I was with got food poisoning from a bad bocadillo. One year I got it from a cream puff. The doctor in Leon told me to avoid any pastry with dairy (I suppose, other than baked in butter).
Does anyone have any thoughts?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Avoid eggs the way the Spanish like them, sunny-side up. The only confirmed case of food poisoning that I know of was from eggs. Every other stomach disorder could have been dehydration, virus, water, or food, and it is always hard to know which one it is.

 

[KinkyOne]

Avoid eggs the way the Spanish like them, sunny-side up. The only confirmed case of food poisoning that I know of was from eggs. Every other stomach disorder could have been dehydration, virus, water, or food, and it is always hard to know which one it is.

Ahem, to be exact, eggs sunny-side-up are food too

 

[camino07]

I got the most horrible food poisoning after a tapas meal in Burgos, ate lots of eggy tapas as I loved the Spanish eggs.(no more tapas for me ). V and D the whole way to Hornillos. worst day of my Camino life.

 

[David]

Ice cubes - beware asking for ice in your drink! Bars, restaurants .. don't ask for ice!!

From a study -
Dr Suzanne Surman from its Specialist and Reference Microbiology Division, said: "Ice cubes have been found to cause outbreaks of gastrointestinal disease.

In 44% of the samples from buckets and machines, tests revealed the presence of coliform bacteria. These are bacteria which are present in the human gut and are passed out in faeces.

 

[PEI_Heather]

It was told to me continuously (in 2012) on the Meseta to avoid the water, it wasn't good to drink and people were getting food poisoning (sick) because of it. However, when I walked the Meseta, the water was fine, but there was little, if any soap or handtowels in any of the bathrooms in many of the bars. I think THAT was more of a cause of gastrointestinal incidents than the water. I was happy to see in 2016 that many many of those bars had soap, towels and/or hand sanitizer. There was one place that still was not prepared with anything outside of water.

 

[t2andreo]

In my wife's and my 45 plus years of international travel, we have only gotten a GI illness twice, once each. Once was in Brussels in a five-star hotel. The other time was in a tapas bar in Barcelona.

The former incident was caused by one egg of several that went into a custom made omelette being cracked before use. In Belgium, as in most of continental Europe, eggs are not commonly refrigerated, as they are here in the US. Hence, my beloved met my old buddy Sal-monella... He kept her in bed (though NOT amused) and the bathroom for two-days. It was then that we found Aquarius sport drink for rehydration.

The second incident occurred some years later in Barcelona, when I enjoyed several tapas with fried green pimentos on top. We later deduced that the peppers likely were fried earlier in the day and not kept cool after frying. This turned the grease rancid...the rest you can imagine. This time it was I who spent two-days in bed and bathroom and sent the wife on an Aquarius supply run.

My take away from this was to avoid fried foods that are not served fresh and hot from initial cooking (as opposed to rewarming), and to avoid egg products that are not fully cooked. I consider an omelette to be partially cooked. Spanish tortilla "pie" is baked and the higher heat used kills pathogens, if any sneak into the eggs used.

In my experience, a bocadillo made with pre-cooked jamon (Jamon York) and hard or semi-hard cheese (queso) and without condiments on it, should be good for a long day or day and a half. In five Caminos and Lord knows how many bocadillos consumed, I have not had a problem with one.

I hasten to add here that I have a wonky gall bladder that does not like greasy or fried foods. So, I enjoy these foods only in moderation and rarely. I also have a somewhat delicate stomach that knows what it likes and reacts viscerally (literally) to what it does not like. So when on Camino, I tend to eat very simply and as bland as I can.

As a pilgrim, I eat to live. I do not live to eat. Yes, this is boring. But, I have come to realize over my five outings, that the only thing worse than actual physical death while on Camino, is getting a GI illness.

I hope this helps someone.

 

[trecile]

Eggs in most European countries are not washed before being sold as they are in the US. The washing actually removes a protective coating, which makes it safe to store them unrefrigerated. Eggs that have been washed must be refrigerated to avoid contamination.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...-chills-its-eggs-and-most-of-the-world-doesnt

 

[NualaOC]

What to avoid on the Camino? Especially when it gets hot?
One year a friend I was with got food poisoning from a bad bocadillo. One year I got it from a cream puff. The doctor in Leon told me to avoid any pastry with dairy (I suppose, other than baked in butter).
Does anyone have any thoughts?

Hi Craig, I don't think there's an easy answer to your question. When it comes to identifying the source of a food poisoning or other GI illness, we often 'blame' the last meal we ate before feeling ill. However, some infections (e.g. campylobacter) have an incubation period of up to 72 hours, making it almost impossible to figure out the source of the problem. Eggs, poultry, water, cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods, poor hygiene/hand washing - who knows, and there's probably no point in stressing about it. Fortunately, medical care is excellent in Spain, as I discovered last year when I had a horrible GI illness on the Camino Primitivo.

In terms of prevention, the only things we can completely control are our own hygiene and food preparation/storage arrangements. Most of the other potential risks are in the hands (pun intended) of others!

 

[trecile]

There was some kind of "stomach bug" going around while I was walking a few weeks ago. Fortunately, I didn't get it, but several people that I knew did, and a couple went to the hospital. It seemed to last about 5 days.

 

[Jersey]

Eggs in most European countries are not washed before being sold as they are in the US. The washing actually removes a protective coating, which makes it safe to store them unrefrigerated. Eggs that have been washed must be refrigerated to avoid contamination.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...-chills-its-eggs-and-most-of-the-world-doesnt

I'm in La Coruna presently and did a double take when I saw the eggs were not refrigerated.
Thanks for clearing that up

 

[bernhugo]

No ice in drinks and no salads.
In fact the hotter the meal is served may help cut down these incidents.
Sandwiches pre-made and standing on a shelf ,on a counter,may be lethal too.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

As a child, when ever I visited my grand larents in Mexico I would go, once, to the local fresh fruit juice store where I would order an horchata. I knew it would make me sick, but did not care. I would just swallow a few pills as soon as my stomach started gurgling. Ah, and some huaraches from the little old lady on the corner of a street near the house. Yum!

My father? Would have bleach added to his water! His vegetables washed in this water! Really? The rest of the houseld just used boiled or filtered water. No wonder mom would only take him to Mexico with us.

Spain? Never blinked.

 

[marianna niebauer]

Eggs in most European countries are not washed before being sold as they are in the US. The washing actually removes a protective coating, which makes it safe to store them unrefrigerated. Eggs that have been washed must be refrigerated to avoid contamination.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...-chills-its-eggs-and-most-of-the-world-doesnt

Living in & traveling in SA we never refrigerate eggs. I've only gotten sick from water at 2 road races in US because of all the chemicals & now I NEVER drink tea/Coffe on plane because water comes from holding tank. Lessons learned; my "lifestraw bottle" goes w/me.

 

[mvanert]

What to avoid on the Camino? Especially when it gets hot?
One year a friend I was with got food poisoning from a bad bocadillo. One year I got it from a cream puff. The doctor in Leon told me to avoid any pastry with dairy (I suppose, other than baked in butter).
Does anyone have any thoughts?

On my first camino in 2014 I got food poisoning, it was the worst three days of my year. I don't know for sure how I got it but from then on I have avoided water from pipes in the towns, bottled water only for me! Fortunately, the municipal albergue in Santo Domingo de la Cazera allowed me to stay for three days and did not charge either me or my sister (who was my guardian angel bringing lots of water - bottled - and Aquarius) while I recovered.

 

[Jersey]

I Struck with only bottled water & Aquarius whenever possible.
I'm going to miss orange Aquarius when I get back to the states.

 

[trecile]

I filled my water bottle from the tap in the albergues every day, and had no issues.

 

[Suzanne S.]

Sheesh, in two Caminos, I tried to eat a salad every day, bought, carried, then ate countless bocadillos, and drank only tap water and wine and have never had a problem. I should play the lottery because I'm feeling very lucky!

 

[David]

All rather interesting - what I notice is that anyone who has suffered has thought back and then decided a certain thing caused it whereas the truth is that unless it is an obvious such as shellfish there is usually just no way of knowing.
Certainly not Spanish tap water, hundreds of thousands drink it each year along the Camino without problems - and it isn't always food or drink - for instance, you can go to a bar toilet, touching all the door and cubicle handles, and then inadvertently wipe your sweaty face before you wash your hands (if you can wash your hands) and that will do it, that will transfer an ecoli to your mouth.

I remember doing the same 'what caused it' thing two years ago at Rabanal del Camino, with three gastro-problem pilgrims coming in over two days (if I met three how many were there??) - one I had to take over the mountain to hospital in Ponferrada .. I asked where they had been, where they had stopped to eat or drink over the previous three days and they all had just the one connection - having iced fruit drinks at David's place "Casa de los Dioses" 2km before San Justo de la Vega, which is just before Astorga.
I think I had that one right but with others? Usually so difficult to know.

 

[beiramar]

You people talk about Spain like a highly risky third world country.

Don't eat salad or sandwiches, no eggs? That seems to be quite exaggerated. Perhaps you could let go of these unusual precautions if you would realize it's a normal country, just like where you come from.

 

[VNwalking]

I do spend time in 'risky third world countries,' and have gotten my fair share of gastroenteritis.
From what? Who knows - as others have said it could be any number of things. Asking oneself why is a hopeless waste of energy.

But it does help to know that prevention mitigates a lot of the risk.
Besides the obvious things to consider (being particularly careful about water/ice and food, particularly if you have a 'naive' immune system - IOW, if you've never traveled away from your home country before) there are a two other things to consider that are important and/or helpful:

• Your hygiene is essential, as are mindfulness of where you're putting your hands and when. Hand washing very well (or using gel on your hands) before you eat is key. (@David gives a very good example of the consequences of not doing this - catching (or spreading) a gastro bug can come from a loo flush handle or a door handle as easily as food...)
• If I have to travel to places where hygiene is particularly questionable, I always take probiotics before I go for a week or so, and the entire time I'm there. Doing this has noticeably reduced the frequency of gastrointestinal illness. The probiotics can be pills by mouth, or yogurt, or both. But either must be live cultures. I'm told sauerkraut and miso paste also have 'gut friendly' Lactobacillus cultures as well. (Dr. Google will have more information - this is just my experience.)

 

[Camino Chrissy]

As a child, when ever I visited my grand larents in Mexico I would go, once, to the local fresh fruit juice store where I would order an horchata. I knew it would make me sick, but did not care. I would just swallow a few pills as soon as my stomach started gurgling. Ah, and some huaraches from the little old lady on the corner of a street near the house. Yum!

My father? Would have bleach added to his water! His vegetables washed in this water! Really? The rest of the houseld just used boiled or filtered water. No wonder mom would only take him to Mexico with us.

Spain? Never blinked.

We were in Oaxaca, Mexico 35 years ago for a month when my children were small. I was told to wash all fruits and vegetables in water with bleach before consuming and not to eat food from street vendors, particularly the lettuce and cabbage used in tacos. Supposedly field workers often defacated outside where they worked, which was mostly related to getting some type of stomach worms. Don't know if things have changed since then, but I definately see lots of produce grown in Mexico at our local grocery stores. I also don't really know if my warnings were fact or fiction.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I filled my water bottle from the tap in the albergues every day, and had no issues.

I, too, have had no issues with tap water on three Caminos.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I, too, have had no issues with tap water on three Caminos.

While on a bus tour in Italy five years ago I became terribly ill several hours after consuming a salad with anchovies on top. Or it could have been earlier from the hotel's breakfast buffet where I'd noticed the large bowl of fruit sitting out seemed rather old, but ate it anyway. When the D and V hit me in late afternoon, I was in a botanical garden with no bathroom available...I'll let you "imagine" how the remainder of this story unfolds!

 

[mvanert]

All rather interesting - what I notice is that anyone who has suffered has thought back and then decided a certain thing caused it whereas the truth is that unless it is an obvious such as shellfish there is usually just no way of knowing.
Certainly not Spanish tap water, hundreds of thousands drink it each year along the Camino without problems - and it isn't always food or drink - for instance, you can go to a bar toilet, touching all the door and cubicle handles, and then inadvertently wipe your sweaty face before you wash your hands (if you can wash your hands) and that will do it, that will transfer an ecoli to your mouth.

I remember doing the same 'what caused it' thing two years ago at Rabanal del Camino, with three gastro-problem pilgrims coming in over two days (if I met three how many were there??) - one I had to take over the mountain to hospital in Ponferrada .. I asked where they had been, where they had stopped to eat or drink over the previous three days and they all had just the one connection - having iced fruit drinks at David's place "Casa de los Dioses" 2km before San Justo de la Vega, which is just before Astorga.
I think I had that one right but with others? Usually so difficult to know.

As I said at the beginning of my post, I have no idea why or how I got food poisoning nor do I claim that my reaction to that is/was reasonable, it's just what I did, my experience. The main point of my post is how well we were looked after by the folks at the albergue Santo Domingo de la Cazera, the camino really did provide for us!

 

[Ribeirasacra]

I really cannot get though all of the above postings about such and such theory.
What I can do is write the facts. Working in the hostelería trade I think the most likely probable for everyone, including those of us who live in Spain is undercooked eggs. (Botulism). Some non Spanish may find the food a bit more fatty/oily after being cooked, but that will not be the cause of food poisoning, just an upset stomach.
Ice cubes are good, drinking water fountains not to be used when it says it is agua non potable or words to that effect.
in dry weather I would certainly not swim or bath in rivers/streams. Waster water outflows have been know to heavily pollute these during dryer periods.

PS question is why would you want ice cubes in your single malt?

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I really cannot get though all of the above postings about such and such theory.
What I can do is write the facts. Working in the hostelería trade I think the most likely probable for everyone, including those of us who live in Spain is undercooked eggs. (Botulism). Some non Spanish may find the food a bit more fatty/oily after being cooked, but that will not be the cause of food poisoning, just an upset stomach.
Ice cubes are good, drinking water fountains not to be used when it says it is agua non potable or words to that effect.
in dry weather I would certainly not swim or bath in rivers/streams. Waster water outflows have been know to heavily pollute these during dryer periods.

PS question is why would you want ice cubes in your single malt?

I always asked for ice cubes for my coke type drinks and fresh squeezed orange juice in hot weather...so refreshing all the way to the last sip!

 

[C clearly]

undercooked eggs. (Botulism)

I think salmonella is the risk associated with eggs. It is not uncommon, and while very unpleasant, usually the victims recover fully within a week or so.

Botulism is more rare and serious, and is more often a problem of improper home-canning.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I would never be afraid of ice cubes in Spain.
It isn't Mexico.

 

[Jersey]

I do spend time in 'risky third world countries,' and have gotten my fair share of gastroenteritis.
From what? Who knows - as others have said it could be any number of things. Asking oneself why is a hopeless waste of energy.

But it does help to know that prevention mitigates a lot of the risk.
Besides the obvious things to consider (being particularly careful about water/ice and food, particularly if you have a 'naive' immune system - IOW, if you've never traveled away from your home country before) there are a two other things to consider that are important and/or helpful:

• Your hygiene is essential, as are mindfulness of where you're putting your hands and when. Hand washing very well (or using gel on your hands) before you eat is key. (@David gives a very good example of the consequences of not doing this - catching (or spreading) a gastro bug can come from a loo flush handle or a door handle as easily as food...)
• If I have to travel to places where hygiene is particularly questionable, I always take probiotics before I go for a week or so, and the entire time I'm there. Doing this has noticeably reduced the frequency of gastrointestinal illness. The probiotics can be pills by mouth, or yogurt, or both. But either must be live cultures. I'm told sauerkraut and miso paste also have 'gut friendly' Lactobacillus cultures as well. (Dr. Google will have more information - this is just my experience.)

You hit the nail on the head, naive immune system.
Anyone who travels to a new place has a more likely chance of getting sick as compared to being home or the locals.

 

[Ribeirasacra]

I think salmonella is the risk associated with eggs. It is not uncommon, and while very unpleasant, usually the victims recover fully within a week or so.

Botulism is more rare and serious, and is more often a problem of improper home-canning.

Yes you are correct. I did mean Sam and Ella.

 

[AbbyDee]

I worked for 13 years in doing technical support in a call center. In this high population density environment any virus or bug spread like wild fire: worsened by people who refused to stay home when they were ill and management that discouraged people from calling in sick. As I have been blessed with a fairly robust immune system, I was not affected nearly as much as others. It seems to me that what a lot may view as "food poisoning" may be norovirus spread from pilgrim to pilgrim. Also. while most of us have some immunity to the various virus on our "Home Turf" this is not the case when abroad. Therefore, carry your hand sanitizer, wash you hands often and carry on!

Excelsor!

 

[Rick M]

You hit the nail on the head, naive immune system.
Anyone who travels to a new place has a more likely chance of getting sick as compared to being home or the locals.

"Do you get sick at sea?"

This was a question I starting asking candidates when I was hiring people who would have to travel extensively. Having run a group of people whose job it was to travel, one quickly learns that there are people who get sick at sea all the time, and those that are rarely ill. Some people suffer from this horribly. I hired one guy who was sick literally every time he traveled. We are not talking about the third world here. He got sick in Boston, Bremen, and Bologne, starting with the B's. The only place he didn't get sick was London, where he was based out of. Ultimately, he had to leave that job, with no hard feelings (except in his derriere!)

Reality is we all live in a biosphere literally crawling with an assortment of microbes. Some people's bodies can handle new ones, and others not so much. There ARE places where the local flora are particularly aggressive forcing you to be extremely cautious, but Spain isn't one of them.

If you are often sick at sea, by all means, boil your ice cubes and bleach your salad. If you are not, Spain is like the rest of the first world - Pretty Good.

 

[C clearly]

"Do you get sick at sea?

I am not aware of a connection between motion sickness and stomach upsets caused by food/drink. They are very different problems.

 

[Rick M]

I am not aware of a connection between motion sickness and stomach upsets caused by food/drink. They are very different problems.

Neither am I. Its a figure of speech......we professional travelers might say we are going to "sea" when really its an Air Canada 777 to Frankfurt with a reservation at a Hilton, rather than a boat!

 

[C clearly]

Neither am I. Its a figure of speech......we professional travelers might say we are going to "sea" when really its an Air Canada 777 to Frankfurt with a reservation at a Hilton, rather than a boat!

I wondered if that might be the case, the first time you used it, but had more doubts the second time! Thanks for the clarification.

 

[AbbyDee]

I am not aware of a connection between motion sickness and stomach upsets caused by food/drink. They are very different problems.

Indeed, they are different problems, but that said, a propensity for sea sickness might be an indicator of someone whose metabolism does not handle change well.

Now, my husband's uncle was a merchant seaman and he captained supertankers for Exxon. There was never a voyage where he wasn't sick as a dog for the first two weeks and after that he was fine..... go figure.

 

[JillGat]

I've traveled a lot in Latin America and have gotten every kind of intestinal bug one can get (I can't say no to street food). Now I carry a few days worth of azithromycin or ciprofloxacin. At the first sign of stomach upset, I start on the antibiotics and 95% of the time it nips it in the bud. Good to have in a first aid kit.

 

[VNwalking]

I forgot to mention above, but @JillGat 's post reminded me: I make sure I have pepto-bismol. It's no good for anything drastic, but can work wonders if your gut is beginning to feel just a little 'off.' It's what I take to 'nip things in the bud.'
With all due respect, Jill, I would not recommend antibiotics without knowing what you're dealing with - not only may it be a useless exercise (in the case of a viral infection), but that's what creates the conditions for antibiotic resistant bugs to come from, and proliferate. I've met people who had to deal with Cdiff infections as a result of unprescribed antibiotic use in Asia, and that's way more serious than either food poisoning or a norovirus infection, unpleasant and dramatic as they can seem.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

With all due respect, Jill, I would not recommend antibiotics without knowing what you're dealing with - not only may it be a useless exercise (in the case of a viral infection), but that's what creates the conditions for antibiotic resistant bugs to come from, and proliferate.

But reality is that these are prescribed by GPs and travel clinics for people to take with them on their travel exactly for that purpose. Ie, prescribed in case, before any problems arise. Ever since Cipro has started being sold in higher doses, it has become a firstline go-to med for travellers to bring, just in case.

 

[VNwalking]

Reality. Yes. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's the right thing to do (I'm no angel and used to do exactly what @JillGat suggested above, so I'm not preaching from on high about this...). Overuse of antibiotics clearly drives the development of resistance, and we are all responsible if we're the ones taking these drugs without knowing what we're doing.

Besides. Believe me: You. Really. Really. Don't. Want. A Cdiff Infection.
The link tells you more, and why it's NOT smart to take a broad-spectrum antibiotic for a gut infection as a knee-jerk response.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Reality. Yes. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's the right thing to do (I'm no angel and used to do exactly what @JillGat suggested above, so I'm not preaching from on high about this...). Overuse of antibiotics clearly drives the development of resistance, and we are all responsible if we're the ones taking these drugs without knowing what we're doing.

Besides. Believe me: You. Really. Really. Don't. Want. A Cdiff Infection.
The link tells you more, and why it's NOT smart to take a broad-spectrum antibiotic for a gut infection as a knee-jerk response.

All I am saying is that even if one walked into a doctor's office with a stomach bug, he or she would give out Cipro without collecting a sample to determine what, if anything, is growing, and then doing a resistance test. Even in hospital this is rarely done.

 

[VNwalking]

Yes, well...true enough, Anemone.
But that doesn't make it smart or right. In fact, careless overprescribing is a huge part of the problem:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4232501/

On the camino, as anywhere, you would likely need to ask to have a culture done.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Yes, well...true enough, Anemone.
But that doesn't make it smart or right. In fact, careless overprescribing is a huge part of the problem:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4232501/

On the camino, as anywhere, you would likely need to ask to have a culture done.

Remember living up here? In a public health system? They won't do them for a simple upset stomach. Can you imagine the backlog, the stress on the system, the cost? And they are also not going to leave you with nothing for 4-5 days until the results come back.

I understand what you are saying, and in a lab it makes sense, but it just isn't going to fly in a clinical setting with the system, the patients, and the doctors who feel the preasure from their patients.

Even the vets get their patients starting on something. I currently have a dog whose culture for an UTI says there is only one most oral antibiotic she is not resistant to. Oddly enough, she was sensitive to the one we started three weeks ago, but not anymore. Od course the bet started with the expensive ones.

But back to humans, the odds of finding a doctor in a public system asking for a culture for an upset stomach is just about nil. And you will close down the travel clinics at the same time.

What is interesting is how things are changing when it comes to using antibiotics, going from a long, very long treatment, to now more studies showing you migh be better off with a strong loading dose and a shorter course. It's like eggs: first they were good for you, then they were going to kill you if you had more than two a wek, and now they are in again ...

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Peg got hit hard by food poisoning gotten from eggs that were in a soup. She wasn't the only one as we got the news there were others who ate the soup that night that came down with it. This news came from a pilgrim a few days later who caught up with us. There were two soups and she had a little of one and a lot of the other, the reverse for me. Just yesterday I heard Peg mentioning how good tasting the soup that did her in was.

 

[JillGat]

I forgot to mention above, but @JillGat 's post reminded me: I make sure I have pepto-bismol. It's no good for anything drastic, but can work wonders if your gut is beginning to feel just a little 'off.' It's what I take to 'nip things in the bud.'
With all due respect, Jill, I would not recommend antibiotics without knowing what you're dealing with - not only may it be a useless exercise (in the case of a viral infection), but that's what creates the conditions for antibiotic resistant bugs to come from, and proliferate. I've met people who had to deal with Cdiff infections as a result of unprescribed antibiotic use in Asia, and that's way more serious than either food poisoning or a norovirus infection, unpleasant and dramatic as they can seem.

I read about a number of clinical trials about prophylaxis for travel diarrhea and consulted with a world renowned tropical medicine doctor. A short course of one of the two broad spectrum antibiotics mentioned above was recommended for me, which was supported by the data I found, too. CDiff is slightly more of a risk with cipro than with azithromycin, so the latter is somewhat safer. These drugs are not actually to be taken prophylactically, but at the first sign of stomach upset. Of course it does nothing if you've contracted a virus. But if it is a food or waterborne pathogen, the research says that this treatment will stop the progression 95% of the time. If you would like citations, please PM me (or google it).

That being said, I haven't ever gotten sick in Spain, but I keep the short course in my first aid kit as I did meet others who had gastro problems. Certainly antibiotics should not be taken lightly, you are right about that.

 

[JillGat]

I also managed a clinical trial on CDiff in a hospital emergency department here. The specimens I collected were not pretty. Anyway, I know way more than anyone needs to know about CDiff. And, if you've already eaten and have a strong constitution, read about one of the most effective treatments for it: "Fecal transplantation."

 

[CaminoDebrita]

I also managed a clinical trial on CDiff in a hospital emergency department here. The specimens I collected were not pretty. Anyway, I know way more than anyone needs to know about CDiff. And, if you've already eaten and have a strong constitution, read about one of the most effective treatments for it: "Fecal transplantation."

Wow, I'm ready to google that right now!

I'll wait, though, until I've told my narratives

I've gotten horribly ill in Mexico (eating fermented fruit and chicken soup with the little claw in it), but nothing in comparison to what happened in Vietnam and Cambodia--where I am sure I nearly died on one occasion.

I had gone out for a nightcap with a Scottish Physical therapist. Jack and I both had a little nip of Irish Cream. The next morning, I felt a bit off. Within two hours, I had V and D so intensely that I lost all fluids and began having severe cramping and blacking out.

Fortunately, the doctor down the little dirt road we lived on was available, and set up a drip iv for me in both legs and an arm--after giving me something to stop the projectile V and D. Yikes. Later, he gave me a sapphire pendant and thanked me for accepting treatment. Great neighbor, and I ended up being his daughter's teacher.

Then there was the time I ate shrimp in Ho Chi Minh City. That was dumb. Taxiing into P Penh, big problems. I barely made it into the hotel room. That was a Cipro situation and there was no doubt about that.

I've found in all my "developing country" travels I need to stop the V and D, then treat it with Cipro--we're not talking tummy ache or just a little case of traveller's diarrhea; it's usually a high drama "might be dying here". I've had Dengue Fever, Giardia, and all sorts of nasty stuff, for which--of course--antibiotics would be inappropriate.

Spain? never a problem, but never say never. I think that some of the advice here has been excellent: stay clean, look at the food being offered, see how the food is stored.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Wow, I'm ready to google that right now!

I'll wait, though, until I've told my narratives

I've gotten horribly ill in Mexico (eating fermented fruit and chicken soup with the little claw in it), but nothing in comparison to what happened in Vietnam and Cambodia--where I am sure I nearly died on one occasion.

I had gone out for a nightcap with a Scottish Physical therapist. Jack and I both had a little nip of Irish Cream. The next morning, I felt a bit off. Within two hours, I had V and D so intensely that I lost all fluids and began having severe cramping and blacking out.

Fortunately, the doctor down the little dirt road we lived on was available, and set up a drip iv for me in both legs and an arm--after giving me something to stop the projectile V and D. Yikes. Later, he gave me a sapphire pendant and thanked me for accepting treatment. Great neighbor, and I ended up being his daughter's teacher.

Then there was the time I ate shrimp in Ho Chi Minh City. That was dumb. Taxiing into P Penh, big problems. I barely made it into the hotel room. That was a Cipro situation and there was no doubt about that.

I've found in all my "developing country" travels I need to stop the V and D, then treat it with Cipro--we're not talking tummy ache or just a little case of traveller's diarrhea; it's usually a high drama "might be dying here". I've had Dengue Fever, Giardia, and all sorts of nasty stuff, for which--of course--antibiotics would be inappropriate.

Spain? never a problem, but never say never. I think that some of the advice here has been excellent: stay clean, look at the food being offered, see how the food is stored.

Wow, how awful for you... several different times! You've read my above post regarding my Italy trip. It truly was one of two worst memories of illness (the second being from eating shrimp on a buffet in the states) of V and D along with such terrible cramping I could not stand up. Foolishly I did not seek medical assistance either time, but after 2 days slowly returned to normal.

 

[JillGat]

Peg got hit hard by food poisoning gotten from eggs that were in a soup. She wasn't the only one as we got the news there were others who ate the soup that night that came down with it. This news came from a pilgrim a few days later who caught up with us. There were two soups and she had a little of one and a lot of the other, the reverse for me. Just yesterday I heard Peg mentioning how good tasting the soup that did her in was.

I've done a number of foodborne outbreak investigations and, from my experience, one can't always be sure of the ingredient that was the culprit. It might not have been the eggs.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I've done a number of foodborne outbreak investigations and, from my experience, one can't always be sure of the ingredient that was the culprit. It might not have been the eggs.

The OP asked "What to avoid on the Camino?" and some responses said eggs. I should have been clearer in my post by saying something like "Eggs can be a hidden ingredient in some Spanish soups.

At a dinner 4 days days after Peg had second helpings of that great tasting soup (and only 40 kms farther along thanks to the GI problem) we got word about the source of the situation. I didn't ask many questions but it sure sounded like the authorities had looked into the situation and blamed it on the soup with the egg.

By the way, in the next two days we managed to cover only another 22 kms and then took 2 recovery days. We then got back to our usual distances for a few days until Peg injured her foot knocking her out for another 5 days and a few more slow days after that. But she make to Santiago.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I've done a number of foodborne outbreak investigations and, from my experience, one can't always be sure of the ingredient that was the culprit. It might not have been the eggs.

Many years ago I had a friend who refused to refrigerate her eggs from the grocery store. She said they tasted better without refrigeration. I lived near her for three years and to my knowledge she never got sick...just wondering, are eggs maybe getting a bad rap?

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Many years ago I had a friend who refused to refrigerate her eggs from the grocery store. She said they tasted better without refrigeration. I lived near her for three years and to my knowledge she never got sick...just wondering, are eggs maybe getting a bad rap?

National Public Radio has an explanation on the care of eggs that different countries do. In the U.S. it is best to refrigerate store bought eggs as a natural coating has been washed away.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...-chills-its-eggs-and-most-of-the-world-doesnt

 

[AbbyDee]

Many years ago I had a friend who refused to refrigerate her eggs from the grocery store. She said they tasted better without refrigeration. I lived near her for three years and to my knowledge she never got sick...just wondering, are eggs maybe getting a bad rap?

well,eggs don't "go bad" as fast as people think they do: the egg you buy in the grocery store is probably a month old, and depending how fast your friend used up her eggs, there may not be a problem and not every egg is contaminated by salmonella. Now in Europe, unrefrigerated eggs are the norm; they are also unwashed, and the normal coating on the outside of the egg is undisturbed and the porous egg shell is better "sealed" against the air and keeps it fresher longer.

now in the US and Canada too, eggs, from grocery stores, usually factory farmed, are washed, removing the natual coating and thus must be refrigerated. While salmonella is probably the most usual source of food poisoning, it is not spread by eggs alone: cutting corners in a lot of production sites are often the cause. I remember a few years back a plant that produced peanut butter was a culprit: The manager was using substandard mouldy peanuts that were some how contaminated by salmonella. It was a big scandal at the time. But eggs are the "low hanging fruit" and easy targets.

 

[JillGat]

Here is the latest from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on prevention/treatment of traveler's diarrhea:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2018/the-pre-travel-consultation/travelers-diarrhea

 

[Beeman]

Eggs in most European countries are not washed before being sold as they are in the US. The washing actually removes a protective coating, which makes it safe to store them unrefrigerated. Eggs that have been washed must be refrigerated to avoid contamination.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...-chills-its-eggs-and-most-of-the-world-doesnt

Eggs are not washed in the U.S.. they are sanded in remove the poo. This is why store-bought eggs have such thin shells. Winter eggs probably came from the spring or summer

 

[alaskadiver]

Spain is not a third world country. Avoid foods there that you would avoid in the US while traveling I the US. I've traveled extensively all over the world and the only time I get intestinal upsets us at home in the US. Not every gastrointestinal upset is "food poisoning". Most cases can be taken care of with a couple tablets of Loperamide.

 

[KinkyOne]

... Now in Europe, unrefrigerated eggs are the norm;
...

I haven't seen chicken eggs on an unrefrigerated shelves in EU shops/malls/markets for years so I really don't know where you got this info but it definitely isn't correct in my opinion. Can you provide any link or such?

 

[november_moon]

I don't think there's an easy answer to your question. When it comes to identifying the source of a food poisoning or other GI illness, we often 'blame' the last meal we ate before feeling ill. However, some infections (e.g. campylobacter) have an incubation period of up to 72 hours, making it almost impossible to figure out the source of the problem.

Very true. I had a severe GI illness on the Camino last year. I don't know what caused it, although we narrowed it down to a few things based on what I ate versus what my husband ate. Unfortunately, the last meal I had before getting ill was pulpo - so, even though I know the problem was NOT the pulpo, my stomach is convinced that it was and now I cannot eat it. I used to love pulpo, but I cannot convince my stomach that pulpo didn't try to kill me.