Egypt - food poisioning/getting sick
Dec 20th, 2009, 06:28 PM
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Egypt - food poisioning/getting sick
As some of you may know I have a rtw trip planned for next year and I am going to visit Egypt as part of that trip. I am now having second thoughts. Most of the people who I have spoken to recently who have been to Egypt have become sick. Maybe from something they ate, air pollution in Cairo, etc. One person was telling me she was sick for a month after returning home.
I wouldn't like to visit Egypt at the begining of the trip, fall sick and then have another six weeks of travel planned. Of course, I can get sick in any country not just Egypt, but of all the destinations I had planned on visiting, I have read so many negative things about Egypt and travellers becoming sick. Any thought/suggesttions. I am still planning my itinerary and I am a little flexible. The only thing I have already booked is my Egypt land arrangements. Any advise will be appreciated.
Thanks
I wouldn't like to visit Egypt at the begining of the trip, fall sick and then have another six weeks of travel planned. Of course, I can get sick in any country not just Egypt, but of all the destinations I had planned on visiting, I have read so many negative things about Egypt and travellers becoming sick. Any thought/suggesttions. I am still planning my itinerary and I am a little flexible. The only thing I have already booked is my Egypt land arrangements. Any advise will be appreciated.
Thanks
Dec 20th, 2009, 07:05 PM
#2
I do not think you have to worry too much about being sick in Egypt.
Maybe some people get "mummy tummy", but it hardly disables you from enjoying your time there.
http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...edications.cfm
Read here what I advised about getting sick in Egypt and take care of yourself in the common areas I have mentioned.
Maybe some people get "mummy tummy", but it hardly disables you from enjoying your time there.
http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...edications.cfm
Read here what I advised about getting sick in Egypt and take care of yourself in the common areas I have mentioned.
Dec 20th, 2009, 07:09 PM
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I think it would be a shame for you to miss out on Egypt based on this fear. If you read the Egypt postings both here and on frommers, I think you'll see that time and again, people rave and rave about how awesome Egypt is. For me, it's one of my Top 5 "must sees," and everything I've read from posters here makes me that much more excited to go (I leave in THREE DAYS!!!).
Most of the posts I've seen have described mild stomach problems that have been cured by one or two doses of the cheap and easy-to-find Antinal. I hear that Cipro is also cheap and readily available. I think your friend that was sick for a month is in the extreme minority.
As you said, you can get sick anywhere, and I don't think of Egypt as particularly high risk in that regard. I've traveled to other places (such as Haiti, for example), where health risks were much worse. So, if I were doing a rtw trip (so jealous!!), I would not skip Egypt based on the fear of getting sick.
Most of the posts I've seen have described mild stomach problems that have been cured by one or two doses of the cheap and easy-to-find Antinal. I hear that Cipro is also cheap and readily available. I think your friend that was sick for a month is in the extreme minority.
As you said, you can get sick anywhere, and I don't think of Egypt as particularly high risk in that regard. I've traveled to other places (such as Haiti, for example), where health risks were much worse. So, if I were doing a rtw trip (so jealous!!), I would not skip Egypt based on the fear of getting sick.
Dec 20th, 2009, 07:28 PM
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Thank you both for the replies. I seem to have been misunderstood, I am definitely going to Egypt. My concern is what happens after I leave Egypt, I don't want a 6 week plus travel itinerary booked, paid for and then I can't enjoy the rest the of the trip if things do go wrong in Egypt. Just wondering if I should have Egypt separate from the rtw trip.
Dec 20th, 2009, 08:49 PM
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Hi,
I know most reports here don't say much about tummy problems in Egypt, but I would have to say that it is a comon problem to some degree. I would get something from your Doctor just in case and be very careful what you eat and to wash your hands as often as possible,
We did a RTW trip this year and spent five days in Egypt (our second trip to Egypt). It was very interesting and I am glad we saw what we did. We were on a cruise for that part of the trip, so we did not eat anything except the ship's food and we drank bottled water and drinks...no ice on land. We also did private tours in Luxor, Cairo and Alexandria and spent the nights on the ship. People on the overnight in Luxor (at one of the very nice hotels) did get sick after dinner that night, but it only lasted a day or so for most and they were treated by the hotel Dr. One lady, however, got severely ill. Two days later she was taken to the hospital in Jordan.
So do be careful and get some medicine for simple problems from your doctor. Checking with your doctor and having a small medicine chest is a good idea for anyone traveling especially if you will be gone any lenght of time and to less developed countries.
In planning our RTW trip I wanted to go to India, but didn't because so many people we know did get sick when they visited there. We will do that trip as a stand alone just incase!
If you want to see our itinerary and read our daily trip reports with pictures go to:
www.aroundtheworldin132days.blogspot.com
for Egytp click on April and scroll down to April 24, then read up.
I know most reports here don't say much about tummy problems in Egypt, but I would have to say that it is a comon problem to some degree. I would get something from your Doctor just in case and be very careful what you eat and to wash your hands as often as possible,
We did a RTW trip this year and spent five days in Egypt (our second trip to Egypt). It was very interesting and I am glad we saw what we did. We were on a cruise for that part of the trip, so we did not eat anything except the ship's food and we drank bottled water and drinks...no ice on land. We also did private tours in Luxor, Cairo and Alexandria and spent the nights on the ship. People on the overnight in Luxor (at one of the very nice hotels) did get sick after dinner that night, but it only lasted a day or so for most and they were treated by the hotel Dr. One lady, however, got severely ill. Two days later she was taken to the hospital in Jordan.
So do be careful and get some medicine for simple problems from your doctor. Checking with your doctor and having a small medicine chest is a good idea for anyone traveling especially if you will be gone any lenght of time and to less developed countries.
In planning our RTW trip I wanted to go to India, but didn't because so many people we know did get sick when they visited there. We will do that trip as a stand alone just incase!
If you want to see our itinerary and read our daily trip reports with pictures go to:
www.aroundtheworldin132days.blogspot.com
for Egytp click on April and scroll down to April 24, then read up.
Dec 20th, 2009, 09:22 PM
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We traveled in Egypt last April and here is our experience.
1. I made absolutely sure to keep bottled water together with our toothbrushes to make sure we didn't accidently forget and use the tap water to brush teeth instead. Use only bottled water!
2. Made absolutely sure to keep mouth tightly shut in the shower to stop water from being swallowed accidently.
3. Boiled water 2x in hotel room tea kettle so when cooled in the morning could be used to re-fill empty water bottles.
4. I ate salads (including salad on a felafel that our guide generously bought for us in Khan el Khalili that I absolutely had to eat so as not to insult her generosity) in our hotel (Marriott) and on board our ship. I stayed away from cheese and fish. I never got sick at all.
5. My husband stayed away from salads, ate dairy and fish, and had mummy tummy for one day only.
People who did seem to get sick either got very unlucky or had underlying health problems such as having been treated for cancer, etc.
Medicine is readily available on board all the ships and in most hotels, and their medicine is supposed to work much better for their bugs than anything we could bring from home.
Enjoy the trip. Egypt is amazing and I wouldn't let anyone else's stories scare me into changing my plans.
1. I made absolutely sure to keep bottled water together with our toothbrushes to make sure we didn't accidently forget and use the tap water to brush teeth instead. Use only bottled water!
2. Made absolutely sure to keep mouth tightly shut in the shower to stop water from being swallowed accidently.
3. Boiled water 2x in hotel room tea kettle so when cooled in the morning could be used to re-fill empty water bottles.
4. I ate salads (including salad on a felafel that our guide generously bought for us in Khan el Khalili that I absolutely had to eat so as not to insult her generosity) in our hotel (Marriott) and on board our ship. I stayed away from cheese and fish. I never got sick at all.
5. My husband stayed away from salads, ate dairy and fish, and had mummy tummy for one day only.
People who did seem to get sick either got very unlucky or had underlying health problems such as having been treated for cancer, etc.
Medicine is readily available on board all the ships and in most hotels, and their medicine is supposed to work much better for their bugs than anything we could bring from home.
Enjoy the trip. Egypt is amazing and I wouldn't let anyone else's stories scare me into changing my plans.
Dec 21st, 2009, 06:21 AM
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As you said, you could get ill anywhere, and in most cases it's not even what people eat/drink, but rather the fact that they're on a hectic schedule of long flights, early wake-ups/late to sleep, rush rush rush... which can upset one's ordinary schedule. And, in your case, with RTW, probably even more so.
That said, with all my planning regardless destination, food is the last thing I think about, whether eating or getting ill from doing so. I just naturally follow precautions for travel most anywhere and carry whatever tummy meds, just in case. No problems at any "exotic" destination... in fact, as I recall, the only place I had the slightest upset was in France... duh! And, that was no big deal.
In Egypt we ate everything including salads, fruits, cheeses (don't do fish/seafood as allergic); plenty of drinks with ice and not even a burp.
Use common sense, be aware of what goes in so nothing comes out
and pack the tummy meds.
That said, with all my planning regardless destination, food is the last thing I think about, whether eating or getting ill from doing so. I just naturally follow precautions for travel most anywhere and carry whatever tummy meds, just in case. No problems at any "exotic" destination... in fact, as I recall, the only place I had the slightest upset was in France... duh! And, that was no big deal.
In Egypt we ate everything including salads, fruits, cheeses (don't do fish/seafood as allergic); plenty of drinks with ice and not even a burp.
Use common sense, be aware of what goes in so nothing comes out
and pack the tummy meds.
Dec 21st, 2009, 09:04 AM
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We started out avoiding salads, ice, unpasteurized dairy, etc. but by the end we paid scant attention. Of the six of us, 3 got a mild upset stomach that lasted no more than overnight or a half-day, and 3 of us had no problems whatsoever. I had MUCH worse stomach problems in Puerto Vallarta 30 years ago.
Dec 21st, 2009, 10:02 AM
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Hi - Just returned from this wonderful country the 12th of Dec. I did get mummy tummy one day, but was able to take Atenol (available in Egypt only) and was fine by the next morning to go hot air balooning. I did all the proper precautions, but did eat some lettuce on the Nile cruise. I was assured that was not it, as my shipmates and friends were not sick. It could have been the dirty money or any number of things. Atenol is available without a prescription. It worked wonders! Don't be afraid to visit; just be cautious and prepared. THis is a fabulous country with living history!
Dec 21st, 2009, 09:55 PM
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When our family of 4 visited Egypt 8 years ago we were the only family in a 35 person groupwhere no one got sick - even for a day. But we decided at the beginning we were going to Egypt to see stuff, not to explore dining. So we chose to be over-careful and have no regrets.
Bottled water - and when you buy it on the street make sure cap is sealed and wipe down water on outside from ice it was chilled in.
No ice - what do you think they make it from? Same for juices unless positive not re-constituted. No lemonade - where do you think that water comes from?
No raw veggies of any kind, including salads. No dairy since much of the milk is not pasteurized. Fruits only if you could peel them yourself.
Wash hands/use gel frequently and especially after using buffet utensils.
What did we eat - meat, wonderful bread, rice and other grains, peelable fruits, cooked veggies. Never had trouble finding food to meet our rules and were never sick. Since bathroom facilities are not always readily available and sometimes quite disgusting, we did not want to risk intenstinal ills.
Bottled water - and when you buy it on the street make sure cap is sealed and wipe down water on outside from ice it was chilled in.
No ice - what do you think they make it from? Same for juices unless positive not re-constituted. No lemonade - where do you think that water comes from?
No raw veggies of any kind, including salads. No dairy since much of the milk is not pasteurized. Fruits only if you could peel them yourself.
Wash hands/use gel frequently and especially after using buffet utensils.
What did we eat - meat, wonderful bread, rice and other grains, peelable fruits, cooked veggies. Never had trouble finding food to meet our rules and were never sick. Since bathroom facilities are not always readily available and sometimes quite disgusting, we did not want to risk intenstinal ills.
