Salmonella and Campylobacter in the Maldives

Campylobacter and Salmonella food poisoning outbreaks have been reported in the Maldives by holidaymakers returning to the UK.

Typical symptoms of Campylobacter include severe diarrhoea, often with blood, severe stomach cramps and vomiting and the illness is often caused by undercooked meat, poultry and shellfish. Salmonella food poisoning is one of the most common forms of holiday illness in the Maldives and the symptoms are similar to those of Campylobacter, and can last up to three weeks. The cause of Salmonella can be undercooked poultry, meat or raw eggs.

Salmonella food poisoning is a severe infection of the digestive system. Most food poisoning outbreaks are caused by Salmonella which develops after eating food which is contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. High risk foods include eggs as poultry is a carrier of bacteria, minced meat and chicken plus dairy products and processed foods.

The only effective way to eliminate Salmonella bacteria is to heat food to a temperature over 66ºC. The cells cannot divide below 4ºC. Most cases of food contamination are caused by inadequate storage of cooked food and cross-contamination of raw food, which typically happens when the same chopping boards are used for different foods without being washed in-between use. Symptoms of Salmonella in the Maldives and elsewhere normally develop within 12-36 hours of eating food which contains Salmonella bacteria and typical symptoms include: vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea, ranging from mild to severe.

If you think you are suffering from Salmonella food poisoning after eating at a holiday hotel in the Maldives, make sure you do not become dehydrated. If you are suffering Salmonella food poisoning it may be difficult to even keep water down without vomiting and, if you are also suffering from diarrhoea, you could be losing more fluid than you can replace. When dehydration takes place, the body can go into shock, causing serious illness or even death if the illness goes untreated.

Salmonella food poisoning is extremely common, and millions of people are affected every year. If you have eaten out in a restaurant and become ill soon after wards with symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting, it is quite likely you are suffering from Salmonella food poisoning.

If you suffer Salmonella food poisoning on holiday you should seek medical help as soon as possible. Most mild cases of Salmonella will clear up without treatment but you must drink plenty of fluids. A doctor may prescribe antibiotics in more serious cases or even prescribe treatment via an intravenous drip.

Standards of food hygiene have increased massively in the UK during the past ten years, but the same cannot be said of hygiene standards in other parts of the world. If you have suffered Salmonella food poisoning on holiday in the Maldives, you should seek medical advice both in your resort and when you return home to ensure you have been prescribed the proper treatment.

If your illness was caused by poor standards of hygiene or food preparation in your holiday hotel in the Maldives, you could be able to claim holiday illness compensation from the tour operator with the help of a no win, no fee solicitor in the UK. However mild your symptoms are, seek legal advice about claiming compensation and you could receive a substantial payout. Gather as much evidence as possible and seek medical advice when your return home to confirm the illness you have been suffering from.




Adrian vultur writes for Maldives Holiday illness claims