THE HSE IS warning people to take extra hygiene precautions when travelling overseas amid increased reports of a potentially severe stomach bug. 

Increased levels of cryptosporidiosis, a bug that produces gastroenteritis, have been reported over the last month in holidaymakers coming home from Spain, particularly Salou in Catalonia.

There has been a widespread increase in cryptosporidiosis in Europe in August and September that is most likely because of the extreme weather in European, especially in Mediterranean countries, over the summer, the HSE said.

The most common symptom is watery diarrhoea. Some people may also experience dehydration, weight loss, stomach cramps, fever, nausea and vomiting. Others may not have symptoms at all.

Symptoms usually last between one to two weeks.

While it is a mild disease in healthy people, it can be worse in small children and elderly people, and can be very serious for people who are immunocompromised.

If you are travelling to an area where there may be outbreaks of gastrointestinal disease (including cryptosporidiosis), the HSE said there are important measures you can take to protect yourself and your family, whilst overseas and to stop the spread when you return to Ireland, including good hand hygiene and taking precautions with water and food.

People are being urged to wash their hands frequently using soap and clean water and to use alcohol based sanitiser. 

People are also urged to do the following regarding water: 

• Check to see if the tap water is treated – smell it for the bleachy odour of chlorine
• Ask your accommodation manager if they consider their tap water safe
• If unsure, avoid drinking tap water where possible
• Don’t use ice in your drinks
• If you are not happy to drink the water, don’t brush your teeth with it – use bottled water instead
• Do not enter swimming pools if you are unhappy with the hygiene arrangements.
• If the beach or the sea do not look clean, do not swim in the water
• Always shower after swimming in the pool or the sea
• If you have diarrhoea, do not enter swimming pools for two days after your symptoms have settled
• Don’t let your baby swim in a pool wearing regular nappies, use swimming nappies

The HSE is recommending that people take the following precautions with food: 

• Ensure, where practicable, that food eaten is freshly cooked and piping hot
• Avoid food about which you have doubts, for example, salads or cold meats from retail outlets with questionable hygiene
• Avoid food offered by street vendors
• Avoid lettuce and undercooked shellfish, and food exposed to flies – fruit is safe if eaten peeled
• Check out any restaurant before you order your meal – if you are not happy with its cleanliness go somewhere else.