Gastrointestinal illnesses in tourists: whose responsibility?

Improvements in public health and the control of communicable diseases throughout Europe have been achieved due to the multidisciplinary approach and not only as a result of efforts of public health physicians. The conclusions of the Spanish team that studied the outbreak of gastroenteritis in tourists visiting the Dominican Republic provides a good example of the need for both cross discipline and international cooperation. Tourism is one of the top three global economic forces, with an increasing number of tourists each year. It is estimated that there are over 70 million package holidays sold in Europe annually with destinations worldwide. The tourists are exposed to a wide range of conditions and pathogenic organisms.