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Diarrhea (cont.)

Prevention

Many cases of diarrhea are spread from person-to-person. The following personal care precautions can help an individual avoid diarrhea and other viral or bacterial infections:

Individuals caring for sick children or other adults in any setting should carefully wash their hands after changing diapers, helping an individual use the bathroom, or assisting an individual around the home.
Children should be instructed to wash their hands after using the bathroom.

Practice safe food-handling. Always wash the hands before and after handling food.

Use care when preparing raw poultry or meat. Food should be cooked to the recommended temperatures. Avoid raw or rare meat and poultry. Utensils coming in contact with raw food should be cleaned in soap and hot water.
Fruits and vegetables consumed raw should be thoroughly rinsed in clean water.
Unpasteurized (raw) milk may be contaminated with bacteria and should always be avoided. Unpasteurized fruit juice or cider should generally be avoided even if the source is known because the fruit may have come in contact with contaminated animal droppings in the orchard.
Use caution when traveling, especially to foreign countries. Do not eat foods from street vendors. Don't drink water or drinks with ice cubes made from tap water if the country is deemed unsafe. Check the Travelers' Health Web site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for travel information for your destination.