Is food poisoning a problem in Mexico?
 

Hello,<BR>I am considering going to Akumal instead of the BVI-Carribean for a vacation. Wondering if food poisoning is a issue that people still worry about when going to Mexico?<BR>Thank you. Seva.

Type &quot;want to avoid getting sick&quot; or just &quot;getting sick&quot; in the text box for Mexico.

No more than in the US

I have never had food poisoning in Mexico in my five trips. However, I just got back from New York and was violently ill after eating hot dog from a street vendor. My point is that you can get food poisoning anywhere, including the BVI.

Warm climate + unrefrigerated food = bacterial paradise. Warm climate can be anywhere, although there is usually (but not always) a higher level of care about these things in more developed countries.<BR><BR>Peel it, cook it, or don't eat it. Stay away from buffets, even at 5-star hotels. If you follow these rules you will drastically reduce your chances of getting ill. (I'm not addressing the issue of drinking water because I think most people know how to handle that.)

Hi,<BR><BR>We did the exact same thing..made the switch from Peter Island to Akumal for our July trip. I have yet to read any negative reports on the area. I've found two good sites for info:<BR><BR>locogringo.com &lt;--has a travel forum &amp; lodging reservations<BR>info-akumal.com &lt;--has a great map of central akumal<BR><BR>I'm very excited about the switch.<BR><BR>snarla

I make many trips to Mexico each year and have yet to have any major health problem.My friends, a Mexican family, visit me in the U.S. each year and at least one of them always becomes ill. I believe it is all to do with what your body is accustomed to and little to do with the country.<BR>Of course, I always try to use common sense regarding what I eat in Mexico but no more so than in any country. I always enjoy the tacos, hot dogs, etc. from the street vendors!

I'd like to add to my earlier comments that not all ailments of the stomache and digestive system result from food poisoning. Probably more common is picking up a bug from poor hygiene. So, wash your hands frequently, take a bottle of sanitizing gel and use it a lot. After washing your hands in a restroom, use a paper towel or tissue to open the door. Just because you washed your hands doesn't mean the person before you did. Stay clean, Stay healthy.

Have travelled to Mexico numerous times and never gotten ill. We take several different precautions: pepto-bismal before every meal, bottled water only(careful with those ice cubes as well),and second thoughts before eating anything un-cooked.<BR>If you do get ill, remember that you can buy medications over the counter in Mexico that require a scrip here in the states.

A lot of sickness is self inflicted. Too much fruit which is a natural laxative and too much alcohol in the hot sun. Pace yourselves for the first couple of days and don't go mad and you will be fine. We eat at the buffets in Mexico and the Dom Rep and have always been fine. Just a little common sense is all that is needed.The ice at the hotels is fine and there is always gallons of water and one important bit of advice I will give you is drink plenty of the water they offer you. It will be purified and if in doubt just ask first.

Most people get sick because the bacteria is different from what their body is used to injesting. Not that it is bad bacteria, just different.

I do not have any medical training, but it seems to me that there are several different kinds of &quot;getting sick&quot;.<BR><BR>1. The Trots, known by many colorful names around the world. Likely to be caused by a change in diet, different bacteria, etc. Also likely to last for a good part of your trip.<BR><BR>2. &quot;Food Poisoning&quot; -- nausea, vomiting, possibly running a fever. Definitely caused by something BAD that you ingested. Likely to last 1-5 days.<BR><BR>3. The Really Bad Stuff -- e.g., dysentery, giardia, other illnesses for which you will need medical treatment.<BR><BR>My point is that everyone's remedies and preventatives may work for some of the above but not others. Since the original poster asked about &quot;food poisoning&quot;, I think they were talking about #2. Can't dismiss it as just a change of diet if you're vomiting and running a fever.