United States: Scientists show stomach bugs can help fight cancer
It is the scourge of many travellers visiting far-off places; Delhi belly, Montezuma’s revenge, or to put it more bluntly, the runs. And while tales of mad dashes for toilets in remote outposts always makes for an amusing anecdote once travellers are back home, it is never quite so much fun when it is happening to you!
However, it turns out that every cloud has a silver lining, so to speak; scientists at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia have discovered that a bout of diarrhoea may well provide the body with protection against cancer.
A report in The Independent says that travellers’ diarrhoea, caused by intestinal E.coli infections, can virtually stop the growth of cancerous cells. Indeed, cancer was found to be far more prevalent in countries where industrialised nations – and less common in developing countries where severe stomach bugs are widespread.
