Sanitize your phalanges

I'm cresting over the first wave of what I believe is referred to as "Pak tummy;" the common incident of diarrhea overseas. It hits the best of us and started last Tuesday.

I'll spare you the details (well, most of them at least), but let me bring up two importance lessons of my chief medical officer in Peace Corps Ghana, Agnes.

#1 Clean your water (mine is boiled and filtered through ceramic candles). Think of the Spanish conquestadors (sp?) bringing their blankets to America. The Americans were introduced to much more than goodwill and warmth, but also to microscopic organisms the Europeans took for granted. No need to introduce yourself to biological warfare before you've acclimated to many other things.

#2 Wash your hands. These is the duty of all individuals, rather than just those in the food service industry. It's mindboggling to track every vector by which organisms enter your body, but try to focus on the mucous membranes: eyes, nose, mouth. Your hands contact many things in addition to inserting food, pulling out a juicy morsel (sorry!), and either prostrating in front of or wiping across your visual field. Keep them clean and away from these areas. [research link]

Sure, you still may get sick. I thought I was doing pretty well, but here I am. Take care of your self and avoid explosive diarrhea.