Contaminated food and water are common sources of infection among travelers to less developed countries. The most common are diarrheal diseases caused by a variety of bacterial, protozoan, or viral infections and infections of the liver caused by the hepatitis A and hepatitis E viruses. To a lesser extent there are risks from the organisms causing typhoid fever and cholera, tapeworm diseases caused from eating contaminated and undercooked fish, pork or beef, and acute dysentery or chronic diarrhea from an amoebic infection. Many of the infectious diseases transmitted in food and water can also be acquired directly through the fecal-oral route. These are far too many to count, but are avoidable by following some basic safety rules... "Boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it!" and "Always wash your hands before eating."