Dozens of Britons vacationing in Mexico have come down with a serious stomach illness that triggers explosive diarrhoea, health officials warned today.
At least 74 people are known to have fallen ill with cyclosporiasis since May, and more than half of them have returned from the country.
Most can be traced to all-inclusive hotels in the Riviera Maya and Cancun regions, where thousands of Brits flock each year.
The nasty illness, which can also cause stomach cramps and flatulence, is caused by consuming food or drink contaminated with cyclospora, a microscopic parasite.
The illness can last for more than a month, but most cases resolve within a few days.
At least 74 people are known to have fallen ill with cyclosporiasis since May, and more than half of them have returned from the country. Most can be traced to all-inclusive hotels in the Riviera Maya and Cancun regions, where thousands of Brits flock each year. In the photo, Cancun
Last year, a family took legal action against vacation giant TUI after they contracted the disease during their luxurious five-star getaway to Mexico. They reported seeing flies, cats, birds, and raccoons around the food, some of which was not cold and was served with dirty cutlery. The family also claimed that they were bedridden for three days and were still suffering from symptoms after their return to the UK. Pictured are Katie Richards, 33, (left) her husband Ashley, 34, (right) and her daughter Ruby (center)
Although it is usually mild, it can be life-threatening in immunocompromised patients.
Officials from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed that the 74 cases observed in the last three months were reported in England, Scotland and Wales.
Slightly more than half were women, with an average age of 44 years. Travel information was known in 52 of the cases.
Forty-eight had been in Mexico. From them, 42 stayed in different hotels in the Riviera Maya and Cancun regions, on the Caribbean coast.
Most reported eating a wide variety of different food and drinks inside their hotel as part of an all-inclusive holiday package, UKHSA bosses said.
Cyclospora, a microscopic parasite (pictured), can cause explosive diarrhea, stomach cramps, and flatulence. The illness can last for more than a month, but most cases resolve within a few days.
Cyclospora occurs most often in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, including South and Central America, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
Seasonal outbreaks of cyclosporiasis in UK travelers returning from Mexico have been reported annually since 2015, excluding 2020 and 2021, with the number of cases fluctuating each year.
Some 79 cases were registered in the first year, and this increased to 359 in 2016. Last year, only 36 cases were registered.
More than half a million Britons travel to the country each year.
Health officials warned those traveling to Mexico today to maintain good food and water hygiene at all times, even if staying at luxury all-inclusive resorts.
They advised tourists to choose freshly prepared food that is well cooked and served piping hot.
Certain foods, including raw fresh berries and herbs, unpeeled fruit and salads, should be avoided because they can be difficult to clean, they noted.
Stomach infection is diagnosed by testing stool samples, and although most cases resolve on their own, antibiotics can be given to treat severe or long-term infections.
It comes after a family launched legal action against vacation giant TUI last year after they contracted the disease during their luxurious five-star getaway to Mexico.
They reported seeing flies, cats, birds, and raccoons around the food, some of which was not cold and was served with dirty cutlery.
The family also claimed that they were bedridden for three days and were still suffering from symptoms after their return to the UK.
