Egypt, India, Thailand, Pakistan, and Morocco are the top five countries where travellers are most likely to acquire gastrointestinal infection following their visit, a report has shown.
Research by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) found that the estimated rate of laboratory-confirmed travellers' diarrhoea in Egypt is 82 cases per 100,000 visits to the country, while in the Netherlands the figure is just 0.2.
Portugal, which is one of the top 10 most popular destinations for travellers from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, had an estimated rate of 6.6 cases per 100,000 visits.
The report categorised travel destinations into three different risk zones for risk of travellers' diarrhoea, classifying Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and most parts of Asia as high-risk countries.
Findings of the report on foreign travel-associated illness highlight the need for adequate travel insurance for those heading on trips to the high-risk zones.
According to the report, half of the 24,322 laboratory-confirmed cases of gastrointestinal infection in those who had recently travelled abroad between 2004 and 2008 were caused by salmonella.
Travellers were advised to wash their hands regularly, carry alcohol gel and be cautious about drinking water.
Dr Jane Jones, a travel health expert with the HPA, said: "There are measures people can take to protect themselves while they are away, and it is also important that travel health specialists and the travel industry work together to increase awareness of travellers' diarrhoea and to actively promote prevention strategies in high-risk destinations."
