watchdog bbc1 report (stomach illnesses)

Anyone else watch this? Over 1600 are suing First Choice for compensation from as far back as 2003!!!! I've booked this week and I'm seriously considering cancelling as I distinctly asked about these illnesses and was told that they no longer exist which is blatant mis-representation. I notice in the small print that I may lose my deposit in the run up (+56 days) but I'm fairly confident I have 14 days 'cooling off' and could state false representation. Any thoughts???

pity you'd have to cancel your holiday. the problem seems very hotel-specific. the bacterial infections people seem to have contracted are the ones corresponding to a) improperly cooked meat (salmonella/campylobacter) or b) pool filters (cryptosporidium).

however, before you panic: there have been approximately 1600 complaints since 2003. that's 6 years worth of tourists in one of the biggest hotels in the area. when it comes to percentages that's not a lot. yes, preferably no-one should have to complain. but i'm wondering how many of those complaints are due to the domino effect...you know, someone saw that someone else had complained, so they decided to, too. the actual figures of victims to the more harmful types of bacteria will be much lower than the 1600+ bouts of diarrhoea reported.

i doubt i'd cancel my holiday for this reason. salmonella is easily passed on and it's very easy to diagnose due to the pretty major symptoms (nausea/vomiting/fever/green poo/diarrhoea). so if there was a massive outbreak it would be very easy to spot. lots of us get cryptosporidium infections without even realising it. most of these bacteria just cause a few hours of discomfort until they're flushed away. unfortunately some people have had bad infections which needed more care. yes, i agree, it's the hotel that's to blame.

if you end up getting an attack of the squirts drink loads of water, try not to take anti-diarrhoea meds unless you really have to (that way the bacteria gets washed out much quicker) and if you suspect it's bacterial (if you have a fever on top of the diarrhoea) the hotel doctor can prescribe antibiotics. the pharmacy in sarigerme is very well equipped.

i stayed at the caria hotel in august. no problems at all. it would be a pity that sarigerme lost out because one hotel causes a panic. if you're travelling with a baby or a toddler then it's different, i think. but by the law of percentages you should be ok.

sarah

We took our 2 year old in May and hasd no problems at all or saw anyone else who had any problems. We had a great time, so much so we are going back in a week. For every one person who had a bad experience there are dozens who had a good one, trouble is only people who had a bad time report it. You never see Hotel in mass enjoyment outbreak on any news. Trouble is so much more news worthy. Check out the reviews on all the review sites. Sure there are some bad reviews, but there are also some great reviews too. Just take care what you and your family eat and you'll be fine.

there's plenty of good resturant's in the village. If your not sure , try them.

ps
i'll be over on the 5th oct Sarigerme bar .Get the efes ready unal. MICK

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/09/first_choice.html

theres the link if anybodys intrested

theres 7 of us including a 6wk old baby due to go on the 19th oct, not sure wether we should now

i was reminded by my friend that while we were in sarigerme (at the caria hotel) a couple we met were telling us they were coming to the beach for the day as holiday village were having to close a few of the pools for cleaning due to certain holiday-makers using the pools as .... how should i put this... a dumping ground. yes, the tourists either letting their children have a poo in the pool, or (i hope not, but i really wouldn't be surprised) adults doing it for 'a laugh'.
holiday village would close and clean the pools as and when this happened.
seeing as salmonella is transmitted via fecal --> oral route, i guess the tourists themselves can be blamed for the occassional bouts of diarrhoea.
kitchen hygiene is high. staff spotless. however, in my hotel i didn't see many of us tourists going to wash their hands before dinner (me included, sorry!).
a six week old baby won't have to worry about getting infected from a food source. maybe avoid the pools that have floaters! although i'll say again that these pools are immediately closed and cleaned by the hotel (as holiday village visitors told us, and which i can easily believe as our hotel also had high standards of cleanliness).
but i think the most important thing to remember is how exaggurated this 'outbreak' has become. if we get a case of the runs back home we take a pill and get on with it. if we get one on holiday suddenly it's life-threatening and someone has to be blamed.
sarigerme's also not 'in the sticks'. the hotels have doctors. the chemist is very well stocked with knowledgeable staff. i've read complaints about people having to go to the loo 37 times in a day and waiting to go to the doctor until they get home! of course, by then whatever bacteria is swimming around their guts has multiplied and turned nasty. there's a story about someone getting back to the UK with an 11 year old who'd been vomiting for a while and only then going to the doctor for a diagnosis. come on! why wait to get back home to seek advice? and yet another story with a 3 year old who had to stay in hospital for IV fluid replacement upon arrival in the UK because of long bouts of diarrhoea during the holiday. without wanting to sound preachy...what do you expect?! first, they're staying in a hot country. second, they get diarrhoea. so they're losing vast amounts of water through both sweating and diarrhoea. both water AND salts need to be replaced (i'm a nurse, btw).
go on holiday and enjoy it like the majority of holiday village visitors. read up on the symptoms of these bacteria so you can recognise them straight away (for the SMALL chance of contracting something nasty). bring a few sachets of ORS with you (oral rehydration solution - ask your chemist) so your child doesn't dehydrate should he/she get a runny tummy. if your baby has bottled milk have a lactose-free variety on hand (if a baby gets diarrhoea lactose can make it worse. same for adults. if you get diarrhoea stay off the dairy for a couple of days). use disinfectant hand gels before you eat and after you've been to the loo (which apparently we should all be doing anyway thanks to flu-scares). drink lots of water. report straight away to the staff should your child (or you ;-) make a mess of the pool so there's no time wasted in getting it cleaned. don't - like SO many - dump a used nappy near the pool or anywhere public. use the local doctor and don't wait until you get home if you or members of your family do get any symptoms.
this watchdog scare is ruining the reputation of an area dependent on tourism. no, it's not pleasant to have your holiday messed up by being ill. but in this case ignorance isn't bliss. be aware of the possible problems and be prepared for them. but like the majority of holiday village visitors you'll probably be fine.

well, at least one good thing has come of this. i no longer have to look at the dictionary to check i've spelt diarrhoea right!
sarah

she wont be going anywhere near the pools, we went to the village in 2006 and thought it was brilliant so thought we would go back with little one