Gastrointestinal Illness Due to Ice Cream in Shymkent, Kazakhstan

Sixty people have been hospitalized in the infectious disease hospital due to an acute intestinal infection after consuming ice cream in the city of Shymkent in Kazakhstan.

Advice

Travellers can reduce the risk of exposure to the many germs that cause intestinal illness (such as cholera, E. coli, salmonella, and many viruses) by following strict food and water precautions to avoid consuming contaminated food and water (especially when sold by street vendors and fast food establishments). Practising careful personal hygiene with frequent hand washing helps reduce the risk.