Diarrhoea - Preventing diarrhoea

To prevent the spread of infections that cause diarrhoea, you should always maintain high standards of hygiene.

You should:

wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after going to the toilet and before eating or preparing food
clean the toilet, including the handle and the seat, with disinfectant after each bout of diarrhoea
avoid sharing towels, flannels, cutlery or utensils with others
wash soiled clothing and bed linen separately from other clothes and at the highest temperature possible (for example, 60C or higher for linen), after first removing any poo into the toilet
avoid returning to work or school until at least 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea

You or your child should also avoid swimming pools for two weeks after the last episode of diarrhoea.

Read more about preventing germs from spreading.

Food hygiene

Practising good food hygiene will help avoid getting diarrhoea as a result of food poisoning. You can do this by:

regularly washing your hands, surfaces and utensils with hot, soapy water
never storing raw and cooked foods together
making sure food is kept properly refrigerated
always cooking your food thoroughly
never eating food past its use-by date

Read more about preventing food poisoning.

Rotavirus vaccination

Rotavirus is a virus that commonly causes diarrhoea in children.

A vaccine that helps protect children against rotavirus is now part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule.

This vaccine is given as a liquid that is dropped into a baby's mouth. It is given in two doses, with the first given at two months and another at three months.

Travellers' diarrhoea

There is no vaccination that can protect you from all possible causes of travellers' diarrhoea. The best way to avoid it is to practise good food and water hygiene while abroad.

If you are travelling in a country where standards of public hygiene are low, you should avoid:

tap water – water should be boiled for at least one minute if you're not sure whether it's safe to drink
ice cubes and ice cream
raw or undercooked seafood, meat, chicken
foods that might contain uncooked eggs – such as mayonnaise
unpasteurised milk and dairy products – such as cheese
fruit and vegetables with damaged skins
salads

It's generally safe to eat or drink:

food that has been thoroughly cooked and is served piping hot
sealed bottles or cans of water, fizzy drinks and alcohol
fruit and vegetables you peel yourself
tea or coffee

If you are planning a trip abroad, check health advice for the countries you will be travelling to. You can do this by visiting the NHS Fit for Travel and the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) websites.

Read more about food and water abroad and travel vaccinations.