Gastroenteritis after holiday

Whiplashy

Last week I stayed in a foreign hotel (within Europe) all inclusive. Didn't eat or drink anything outside the hotel. Within 24 hours of returning home I had developed severe gastroenteritis. I even had to seek medical help. Thankfully it's improving now. The main restaurant in the hotel had birds flying in and out, and I saw them landing on food on more than one occasion.

I'm not seeking to gain anything. I enjoyed my holiday, and I'm just thankful that it didn't set it whilst I was still away or travelling home. But I would like the hotel to do something about improving there standards. I have emailed the hotel to that effect but have not received a response. I know from reading reviews online that the birds have been brought to there attention before and they're not bothered about it. I've also read other reviews from people who have gotten ill from it before.

Should I just leave it go now that I've informed the hotel or should I be taking it further, like to environmental health in that country? I don't want to go overboard, but I've literally never been as sick in my life so I would like it taken seriously.

Toots

Did you book directly with the hotel or did you use a travel agent?

Whiplashy

I booked through travel republic.

EndaHonesty

Username Whiplashy...

Yeah your intentions are purely selfless...

Toots

If you booked through a travel agent I'd make them aware of the situation.

Whiplashy

EndaHonesty wrote: »

Username Whiplashy...

Yeah your intentions are purely selfless...

It's taken from a PlayStation game and it's not as if I've set up a new account just to post this!

Toots wrote: »

If you booked through a travel agent I'd make them aware of the situation.

Thanks. I'll email them and let them know.

T-Maxx

Not necessarily brought about by food consumed at the hotel. Could have been picked up anywhere really.

Spanish Eyes

I would just forget about it. It is unfortunate that you were ill, but you are OK now.

Anyway when you saw the little birdies landing on the food did you not say anything at all at the time? Ah no, better to say it when back home. Bullsit

Dodgy premise. But away you go, take them to the cleaners, but they have people like you sussed now thank god.

Whiplashy

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

I would just forget about it. It is unfortunate that you were ill, but you are OK now.

Anyway when you saw the little birdies landing on the food did you not say anything at all at the time? Ah no, better to say it when back home. Bullsit

Dodgy premise. But away you go, take them to the cleaners, but they have people like you sussed now thank god.

They are perfectly aware of the little birdies. They're all over the place and it has been pointed out to them many times before in reviews.

What exactly do you think I'm trying to get out of them? A discount on my next trip? Maybe a nice room upgrade? I have no intention of going there again! But of course if you ate somewhere and had a 14 hour period where you literally couldn't leave the bathroom you'd just let it go. No harm done!

Whiplashy

T-Maxx wrote: »

Not necessarily brought about by food consumed at the hotel. Could have been picked up anywhere really.

It was my doctor who said it was almost certainly picked up at the hotel, allowing for the incubation period (I think that's what she called it) and the fact I didn't eat or drink anywhere else during that time.

Spanish Eyes

Whiplashy wrote: »

They are perfectly aware of the little birdies. They're all over the place and it has been pointed out to them many times before in reviews.

What exactly do you think I'm trying to get out of them? A discount on my next trip? Maybe a nice room upgrade? I have no intention of going there again! But of course if you ate somewhere and had a 14 hour period where you literally couldn't leave the bathroom you'd just let it go. No harm done!

No need to get annoyed with me.

So your illness happened 24 hours after returning home.

Could have happened in the airport, on the plane either. Surely there is no way the hotel could be nailed for this if you were ok for all of your visit there.

Spanish Eyes

I would also be wary of anyone saying they didn't leave the compound for a drink, an ice cream, whatever. Jayzus that's prison territory right there.

Or maybe just tight.

Whiplashy

Or maybe someone who had to save extremely hard for a holiday and didn't see the point in paying extra for stuff that was already included....

Spanish Eyes

Whiplashy wrote: »

Or maybe someone who had to save extremely hard for a holiday and didn't see the point in paying extra for stuff that was already included....

That is fair enough. But you do understand that your illness could have happened in the airport too. There is no proof that it happened in your hotel complex is there.

dudara

Posters - stop nitpicking

OP, you'd have to prove it was the hotel. "Almost certainly" from a doctor who wasn't with you watching what you did isn't quite good enough. I'm assuming you flew, and if so, you were likely exposed to god know how many germs while in the airport, in the plane, in transport etc.

Make your suspected complaint to the hotel & local environmental health office equivalent. Making allegations against the hotel without proof isn't fair. It could have been the hotel, but you just don't know.

Whiplashy

dudara wrote: »

Make your suspected complaint to the hotel & local environmental health office equivalent. Making allegations against the hotel without proof isn't fair. It could have been the hotel, but you just don't know.

That's exactly why I haven't named the hotel, not even the country. I haven't left them a review online either. All I was asking was should I contact there equivalent of environmental health or leave it at informing the hotel, privately through email.

Whiplashy

Just out of interest I've looked up the incubation period. It's 24-48 hours. And it rules out anything I consumed on the day I returned home outside of the hotel.

dudara

I personally think contacting both is the way to go. And leave it there.

Whiplashy

dudara wrote: »

I personally think contacting both is the way to go. And leave it there.

Thank you very much. That's all I wanted to know

Snotty

Whiplashy wrote: »

Just out of interest I've looked up the incubation period. It's 24-48 hours. And it rules out anything I consumed on the day I returned home outside of the hotel.

Incubation period for what exactly?
Only a stool sample will tell what illness you had.

ohnonotgmail

Whiplashy wrote: »

Just out of interest I've looked up the incubation period. It's 24-48 hours. And it rules out anything I consumed on the day I returned home outside of the hotel.

did you eat in the airport before your flight home or on the plane itself?

Whiplashy

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

did you eat in the airport before your flight home or on the plane itself?

Didn't eat in the airport, and on the plane home I had a premade roll that I brought with me from the snacks in the hotel. Bought a sandwich on arrival in Dublin which I brought home with me and had that night. That sandwich was too late to have been the cause. Oh and I did have a Barry's tea on the plane but that was surely safe.

BeardySi

How gastroenteritis is spread

The bugs that cause gastroenteritis can spread very easily from person to person.
You can catch the infection if small particles of vomit or poo from an infected person get into your mouth, such as through:
close contact with someone with gastroenteritis – they may breathe out small particles of vomit
touching contaminated surfaces or objects
eating contaminated food – this can happen if an infected person doesn't wash their hands before handling food, or you eat food that has been in contact with contaminated surfaces or objects, or hasn't been stored and cooked at the correct temperatures (read more about the causes of food poisoning)
A person with gastroenteritis is most infectious from when their symptoms start until 48 hours after all their symptoms have passed, although they may also be infectious for a short time before and after this.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gastroenteritis/Pages/Introduction.aspx

It's not just spread through spoiled food.

If you feel there's a hygiene issue in the place, report it to the relevant local body and get on with life. You've said you'll not go back so what more is there to worry about?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

You could also have got it from contact with a contaminated surface, like a door handle, escalator rail etc.

Wesser

Whiplashy.

JimsAlterEgo

Whiplashy wrote: »

Didn't eat in the airport, and on the plane home I had a premade roll that I brought with me from the snacks in the hotel. Bought a sandwich on arrival in Dublin which I brought home with me and had that night. That sandwich was too late to have been the cause. Oh and I did have a Barry's tea on the plane but that was surely safe.

possibly the problem there, assuming it was a hot country and you didn't have a cooler bag, chances are the contents of the roll is the issue

Fred Swanson

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mdebets

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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Apperantly it's getting so bad in the, that the government is launching a probe into it and some hotels are threadening to not take British customers anymore.

Del2005

You went to a hotel which has reviews of bad food hygiene, which has been repeatedly pointed out to the hotel before you had booked, and then complain about getting possible food poisoning from said hotel. You noticed this poor hygiene while there and never complained.

I think the time to worry about it was before you booked.

ohnonotgmail

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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There were two people jailed in england recently for making false claims about this.

Fred Swanson

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