water quality
 

Hello all,

I know that we need tobe very careful about drinking water in Peru and Ecuador during our upcoming trip, but what about tea and coffee in restaurants?

Thanks for your advice!

We had no trouble with tea and coffee in Peru. I think where the water is boiled it is fine. We were extremely careful about water in general, as well as uncooked fruits and vegetables. But I drank coffee and tea with no problem.

As most of Peru and ecuador is at altitude the boiling point of water will be lower than 100c and thus will not have the desired effect of killing all the bugs and viruses. I was very careful but still suffered with a number of stomach upsets during our 2 months there, but I am susceptible to such things and never travel without the approriate antibiotics for the region. My wife on the other had was fine.
Drink beer to be on the safe side!!!

www.mdtravelhealth.com

will have correct food water safety info

for your countries

generally if not boiled or peeled do not eat it

stick with bottled carbonated water

buffets are always bad news

keep Cipro/Pepto in my kit will stop TD quickly

ChiCha the beer made from Inka spit

is pretty risky too...

Come prepared have fun,

Do not drink tap water unless it has been boiled, filtered, or chemically disinfected. Do not drink unbottled beverages or drinks with ice. Do not eat fruits or vegetables unless they have been peeled or cooked. Avoid cooked foods that are no longer piping hot. Cooked foods that have been left at room temperature are particularly hazardous. Avoid unpasteurized milk and any products that might have been made from unpasteurized milk, such as ice cream. Avoid food and beverages obtained from street vendors. Do not eat raw or undercooked meat or fish, including ceviche. Some types of fish may contain poisonous biotoxins even when cooked. Barracuda in particular should never be eaten. Other fish that may contain toxins include red snapper, grouper, amberjack, and sea bass.

All travelers should bring along an antibiotic and an antidiarrheal drug to be started promptly if significant diarrhea occurs, defined as three or more loose stools in an 8-hour period or five or more loose stools in a 24-hour period, especially if accompanied by nausea, vomiting, cramps, fever or blood in the stool. Antibiotics which have been shown to be effective include ciprofloxacin (Cipro), levofloxacin (Levaquin), rifaximin (Xifaxan), or azithromycin (Zithromax). Either loperamide (Imodium) or diphenoxylate (Lomotil) should be taken in addition to the antibiotic to reduce diarrhea and prevent dehydration.

If diarrhea is severe or bloody, or if fever occurs with shaking chills, or if abdominal pain becomes marked, or if diarrhea persists for more than 72 hours, medical attention should be sought.

My husband and I will be in Lima and Cusco, and Buenos Aires in November. Would it be naive to think that eating at the restaurants in the 4-star hotels we will be staying at would be safe?