Resort

  • Sick vacationers from Cuba continue to land in Canada

    Posted: January 22nd, 2012 - 11:08pm by Doug Powell

    This is sounding a lot less like norovirus.

    Elizabeth Church of Toronto’s Globe and Mail reports that for the fifth time in less than a week, a Canadian airline is reporting several ill passengers on a flight returning from the vacation destination of Holguin in Cuba.

    Although many travellers on each flight reported staying at the same resorts, at least four resorts have been identified amongst the travellers onboard the first four affected flights, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

    But those resorts could have the same food suppliers; and at least one commenter to barfblog.com said he or she was tested upon arriving in Canada and tested positive for salmonella.

    Michelle Larabie said she got sick on a plane returning to Toronto from Holguin on Jan. 13, a week earlier than the other flights. She said she began feeling nauseous while in the air, and her sickness and diarrhea lasted nearly a week.

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    Salmonella  |  0 Comments
    Canada, cuba, Holguin, resort, Vomit
  • Visitors to Cuba returning to Canada with gastrointestinal illnesses

    Posted: January 21st, 2012 - 4:35am by Doug Powell

    The Ottawa Citizen reports three flights from Cuba to Canada had at least 39 passengers returning with a variety of gastrointestinal illnesses.

    The Public Health Agency of Canada said Friday two flights that arrived in Ottawa from Cuba on Tuesday and Friday had 19 passengers suffering from symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and fever, while a Thursday flight from Cuba to Toronto had 20 passengers suffering from the same symptoms.

    “In all cases, quarantine officers assessed the situation, determined that the passengers did not have a disease listed in the Quarantine Act and thus did not pose a significant public health risk and passengers were released,” said Sylwia Gomes in an email reply to the Citizen.

    The sick passengers on the three flights came from at least four different resorts, she said.

    Early Friday morning, an Air Transat flight from Cuba carrying 260 passengers was detained at the Ottawa International Airport after 12 people complained of a stomach illness. The ill passengers were all from the same resort, so the concern forced Ottawa’s fire HAZMAT team to respond to the early morning incident.

    Passengers were assessed and then cleared after nearly 20 minutes of examination, said a spokesman for the Ottawa ambulance service.

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    Other Microorganisms  |  1 Comment
    Airplane, Canada, cuba, resort, Vomit
  • Risk comparisons are risky, and sick people are not statistics

    Posted: February 2nd, 2011 - 10:51am by Doug Powell

    Some 1,200 people have, according to legal-types in the U.K., been sickened after staying at the First Choice-owned Holiday Village Turkey resort since 2005.

    Although First Choice has paid out over £100,000 to 34 claimants who stayed at the hotel in 2005 and 2007, solicitors say it has "refused to accept responsibility" over more recent cases.

    First Choice said they were in negotiations with the law firm to resolve the issue amicably and couldn't comment further, but they did manage to keep talking and do further damage:

    "First Choice would like to take this opportunity to assure all its customers that we closely audit all the resorts to which we operate, including the Holiday Village Turkey, to ensure that health, hygiene and comfort levels are maintained.

    "Reports of sickness in 2010 were minimal; in particular, out of the 46,000 customers who have stayed there this year, only 0.42 per cent have reported minor ailments such as a mild stomach upset.

    "This figure is extremely low, and has been substantiated by the Health Protection Agency, who have confirmed that they have received no reports of infection at the property this year.”

    Telling 193 paying customers that their barfing was a statistical anomaly isn’t going to win future customers. And won’t help in court.
     

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    First Choice, food safety, holiday village, resort, Risk Communication, salmonella, Turkey
  • Vacationing Brits sue after salmonella sickness in Turkey

    Posted: January 10th, 2011 - 9:10am by Doug Powell

    A group of 107 angry travellers say they fell ill after eating under-cooked food and using a swimming pool contaminated by human waste at Sarigerme Holiday Village in Dalaman, Turkey in 2009.

    The group is suing First Choice Holidays and Flights for compensation.

    A High Court writ claims buffet food was lukewarm and items like chicken were not cooked properly.

    Flies and wasps also allegedly infested food areas and a pool had human waste in it.

    Last night a First Choice spokeswoman said their lawyers are in talks with a no-win no-fee legal firm to resolve the case.

    "We closely audit all the resorts to which we operate, including the Holiday Village Turkey, to ensure that health, hygiene and comfort levels are maintained."
     

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    First Choice, food safety, holiday village, resort, salmonella, Turkey