British holidaymaker infected with salmonella after staying at a Turkish hotel.
A 51-year-old woman from Darlington decided to take a week-long holiday away with her husband, unaware that her supposedly luxurious Turkish hotel experience would end up causing her so much grief.
Starting from May 20, the holidaymaker stayed at the Paloma Foresta Resort and Spa in Antalya, Turkey.
The business support officer described the hotel as a ‘cattery’. Sickly looking cats would freely roam the hotel, often helping themselves to the food from the buffet and tables, frequently being sick around the hotel.
The woman stated it was one amongst many other issues that left her unimpressed, such as occasional lukewarm food and sometimes inadequate cleaning.
At the end of her stay the holidaymaker started experiencing symptoms of illness, including stomach cramps, weight loss, bloating and diarrhoea, amongst others.
Upon returning to the UK, she visited her GP who declared she needs urgent medical treatment and should head to a hospital.
Spending four days on a ward, it came to light that she had salmonella.
Salmonella is a common bacterial disease which affects the intestinal tract. It typically lives in human intestines, but more importantly in animals and are shed through faeces. Contaminated food or water is the most common way humans get infected, suggesting the fault lies in hotel’s negligence
The illness has forced her to take two weeks off work in the aftermath, resulting in personal financial loses.
Thomas Cook, the agency which the holiday was booked through, have expressed their apologies, stating that an investigation into the matter will take place. The medical evidence and heath, hygiene and safety reports from the resort are said to be reviewed and considered.
The Darlington resident approached Irwin Mitchell’s holiday illness team to investigate the matter and is set to sue the hotel. A specialist lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, Jennifer Mullins, stated they have started their investigation and are keen to determine the cause of the illness of their client.
We hope that her claim will be successful and will result in financial compensation for her terrible experience. We know that falling ill on a holiday is frustrating but knowing none of it was your own fault makes it worse.
If you have experienced food poisoning or fallen sick during a holiday and believe it was through no fault of your own, contact our team on 0151 306 3694 to discuss if you are entitled to compensation.