Gene might underlie travelers’ diarrhea

From Toronto, at a meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America

Having a particular form of the gene that encodes the natural compound lactoferrin could predispose some people to travelers’ diarrhea, a study finds. Normally, lactoferrin binds to some bacteria, thwarting their capacity to cause disease.

Roughly 40 to 60 percent of U.S. visitors to Mexico get diarrhea, usually from ingesting viruses or bacteria such as Escherichia coli, salmonella, and shigella, says Jamal A.