Lactobacilli to Prevent Traveler's Diarrhea?

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Abstract
Acute diarrhea is the most common illness in travelers to high-risk areas, with up to half of those engaged in short-term travel affected.1 Although most episodes are mild and self-limiting, there is considerable morbidity and disruption to travel. Effective prophylaxis against traveler's diarrhea is therefore desirable. Antibiotics are efficacious but are not recommended for widespread use.1,2 The efficacy of nonpathogenic bacteria such as lactobacilli has been reported, although confirmatory data are lacking.3 Such bacteria may interfere with the colonization and invasion of the gut by enteropathogenic bacteria, as has been demonstrated in vitro.4 We therefore conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of two species of lactobacilli as prophylaxis against traveler's diarrhea.