Image Courtesy Shutterstock Images

Local cuisines should be savored, but mind food-borne perils, particularly where sanitation is minimal and government oversight meager. Poorly washed raw fruits and vegetables as well as undercooked meats can carry a host of pathogens, such as E. coli, salmonella and noroviruses (common on cruise ships). Most often, the result is nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which can turn travel into a misery.

More exotic foods, however, can mean more exotic diseases and the decimation of endangered species. In West and Central Africa, for example, trade in wild game, or "bushmeat," is the most acute threat to apes, and primates may account for up to 15 percent of the total bushmeat market. The danger to us is real as well: HIV-1, the virus responsible for the global AIDS pandemic, is believed to have leapt to humans through bushmeat hunting. With an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 wild animals eaten annually, "Every year there's a good chance that we could end up with some disease emerging," William Karesh, D.V.M., director of the field veterinary program for the Wildlife Conservation Society, told National Public Radio in March 2007.

What You Can Do

• Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics: www.tufts.edu
• Stick to cooked foods served hot to your table; only eat street-vendor food prepared in front of you. Avoid salads, uncooked vegetables, undercooked meats and unpasteurized dairy. Wash fruits with boiled, bottled or filtered water and remove peels.
• Be skeptical of unfamiliar meats. "Anytime that you are served something you can't identify, ask questions, and in all cases stay away from eating primates," suggests Natalie Bailey, assistant director of the Bushmeat Crisis Task Force.
• Where sanitation is iffy, rely on bottled water or canned beverages, or disinfect by boiling for up to three minutes, filtering or treating with chlorine or iodine pills. Look for water carrying the International Bottled Water Association seal, and be cautious of bottles that may have been opened and re-sealed. When showering, keep water out of your mouth, nose and open wounds.
• Bring portable water purifiers that treat for bacteria, protozoa and viruses, such as General Ecology's First Need XL Water Purifier or HydroPhoton's ultraviolet Steri-Pen Adventurer purifiers, both available at REI ($100-$140; http://www.rei.com/, 800-426-4840).