In Reply to: Raspberry syrup/cordial posted by Balibabe on Tuesday, 16. August 2005 at 16:03 Bali Time:
40% of 1st time visitors to Bali will get some kind of stomach upset.
The climate in Bali and other tropical countries have an ideal temperature for the growth of bacteria and viruses in food. Poor refrigeration due to frequent power cuts and the lack of health education all contribute to an abnormally large number of cases of food poisoning. Bali Belly or food poisoning can be caused by a number of things, including contaminated food and water and sudden large amounts of alcohol. Stomach upsets can also be caused by a sudden change of diet to spicy food or fruit. The bacteria or virus that can cause stomach upsets, enter the body through the mouth. So you must always keep your fingers out of your mouth. Don't lick them when you are eating, (Or any time)even if you have washed your hands .
Few places in Bali have deep sewerage and most of the toilet waste ends up with the ground water. This contamination makes the water from bores and taps unfit to drink.
There is no scientific proof that raspberry cordial prevents food poisoning. The confusion about this has grown into an urban myth. Scientists discovered a few years ago that raspberry cordial could kill bacteria in contaminated water, not in your stomach.
Water from taps, showers and streams is not safe to drink at any time.
Always use bottled water for drinking and rinsing when you brush your teeth.
Only eat fruit that has been peeled or washed with clean bottled water.
Salads can be a problem if they are not prepared properly and not washed in clean water. Don't have ice in your drinks. The only safe ice is the ice you make yourself, from bottled water. Use only bottled water which has the seal intact. All of the restaurants will swear that the ice is ok but it is not worth taking the risk and ruining your holiday. All restaurants and bars use tap water to wash their glasses, so it is wise to drink beer and soft drink straight from the bottle if you have any worries about how the glasses are washed. Freezing the glasses will not kill germs. Most bacteria and virus's are killed by heat, so the food that is presented to your table must be well cooked and very hot. I.E too hot to eat straight away. Avoid meat that is not cooked thoroughly and avoid buffets where the food has been left at room temperature. Don't eat any meat that is still pink after it is cooked especially chicken and pork and hamburgers. If it isn't cooked properly, send it back. Seafood must be cooked thoroughly until the flesh is opaque white, not transparent. Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhoea among children, resulting in the death of over 600,000 children annually worldwide. The incubation period for rotavirus disease is approximately 2 days. The disease is characterized by vomiting and watery diarrhoea for 3 - 8 days, and fever and abdominal pain occur frequently. Immunity after infection is incomplete, but repeat infections tend to be less severe than the original infection. Warning! Some of the toilets in Bali are quite different from the ones we are used to in Australia. You will find the very challenging, squat toilets in some of the more isolated areas. Not all toilets will have toilet paper and you will have to do a balancing act trying to keep your clothing and handbag off the wet floor. As we get older, we build up immunities to most types of stomach upsets. That is why someone will get sick from the same meal and others may not.