CHEYENNE – After receiving multiple recent reports of Wyoming residents who traveled internationally and then returned to the state with illnesses such as salmonella and Hepatitis A, the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) is advising residents to be cautious during visits to other nations.

Tiffany Lupcho, WDH surveillance epidemiologist, said, “Travelers to other countries with sanitation practices different than what they may expect or with untreated water systems can sometimes be at risk for developing stomach-related illnesses.”

Lupcho said some residents returned from visits to Cancun, Mexico area with Salmonella and from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with Hepatitis A. “These recent cases of travel-related diarrheal illness can remind us to take extra precautions when visiting other nations.”

Both Salmonella and Hepatitis A germs can be spread by eating contaminated food and drinking contaminated water. “Many people think they are being careful but don’t realize the raw foods they are eating may have been washed with untreated tap or well water,” Lupcho said. “Other people think they are protected because they are drinking bottled water, but don’t think of the ice made from local untreated tap water in their mixed drinks.”

“It is also important to get any recommended vaccinations for the specific area that you are traveling to,” Lupcho said. “Talk with a healthcare provider before traveling out of the country to learn more about recommended vaccines and any needed medications.”

Travelers who return home and become ill should visit a healthcare provider for testing and treatment, Lupcho said.

Lupcho shared advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help Wyoming residents enjoy fun and safe vacations:

Eat

• Food that is cooked and served hot
• Hard-cooked eggs
• Fruits and vegetables you have washed in clean water or peeled yourself
• Pasteurized dairy products

Don’t Eat

• Food served at room temperature
• Food from street vendors
• Raw or soft-cooked (runny) eggs
• Raw or undercooked (rare) meat or fish
• Unwashed or unpeeled raw fruits and vegetables
• Unpasteurized dairy products
• “Bushmeat” (monkeys, bats, or other wild game)

Drink

• Bottled water that is sealed
• Water that has been disinfected
• Ice made with bottled or disinfected water
• Carbonated drinks
• Hot coffee or tea
• Pasteurized milk

Don’t Drink

• Tap or well water
• Ice made with tap or well water
• Drinks made with tap or well water (such as reconstituted juice)
• Unpasteurized milk