The manufacturer's instructions should be followed. There are a variety of portable filters currently on the market which according to the manufacturer's data will provide safe drinking water. Until there is sufficient independent verification of the efficacy of these filters, the Center for Disease Control makes no recommendation regarding their use. As a last resort, if no source of safe drinking water is available or can be obtained, tap water that is uncomfortably hot to touch may be safer than cold tap water, however proper disinfection or boiling is still advised. To avoid illness, food should be selected with care.
All raw food is subject to contamination.
Particularly in areas where hygiene and sanitation are inadequate, the traveler should be advised to avoid salads, uncooked vegetables, unpasteurized milk and milk products such as cheese, and to eat only food that has been cooked and is still hot, or fruit that has been peeled by the traveler. Undercooked and raw meat, fish, and shellfish may carry various intestinal pathogens. Cooked food that has been allowed to stand for several hours at ambient temperature may provide a fertile medium for bacterial growth and should be thoroughly reheated before serving. Some species of fish and shellfish can contain poisonous biotoxins, even when well cooked. The most common type of fish poisoning in travelers is ciguatera fish poisoning.