Abstract

Systematic review of the effects of probiotics on the prevention of travellers’ diarrhea

Author(s): Sayed Shahbal*

Introduction: It is estimated that 10-40 million travelers get Traveler’s Diarrhea (TD) every year. A significant decrease in TD incidence has not been achieved by depending solely on antibiotic prophylaxis and educational initiatives. Prebiotics for the prevention of Traveler’s Diarrhea TD have also not been examined in previous evaluations of probiotics for Traveler’s Diarrhea (TD), which failed to take into account the strain specificity of probiotic efficacy.

Methods: Standard literature databases were searched unrestricted to the year of publication or language. Included criteria are: English and non-English Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) with excluding animal studies and observational studies. This systematic review applied the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA).

Results: Of the 166 screened papers, 10 randomized controlled trials were included. L. acidophilus showed no efficacy in preventing Traveler’s Diarrhea (TD) except when mixed with other strain. Other genus of lactobacilli showed a protection rate up to 39% against Traveler’s Diarrhea TD. Similarly, S. cerevisiae and S. boulardii have both been effective in preventing TD.

Conclusion: Studies investigating probiotics as a preventative measure for Traveler’s Diarrhea (TD) remain limited. There are only a few probiotics that reduce the risk of TD. The effect of additional probiotic strains on the prevention of TD needs to be further investigated.