Several Canadian tourists were staying at a popular resort in Cancun, Mexico when they recently became severely ill.
They were among dozens of tourists at the
Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun
reportedly hit by food-borne illness, with most complaining of stomach pain and many landing in hospital.
Families at the resort began experiencing projectile vomiting, watery diarrhea and cramps, according to
. The resort reportedly became chaotic with children wrapped in towels lying drained all day and adults making multiple trips to the bathroom.
Doctors suspect the culprit was Rotavirus/Norovirus, says CTN, as it is highly contagious and can result in intestinal symptoms.
People were reported to have been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements about the incident.
Canadian Travel News reports that it spoke with medical specialists in Toronto, who recommended a few ways to avoid passing a virus.
First is thorough hand-washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to physically remove the virus from your hands. Second, use a bleach-based cleaner because most standard “antibacterial” wipes won’t touch Norovirus. With any virus says CTN, the primary goal is to prevent dehydration, so drink water, clear broths or electrolyte drinks.
In order to avoid travelling to a virus hotspot, CTN recommends checking for real-time health alerts and active virus outbreaks. Canadian government
travel advisories for Mexico can be found here
.
Otherwise, you are advised to pack a medical kit with rehydration salts and anti-nausea medication such as Imodium. And abide by the “boil it, peel it, or cook it” adage to avoid food-borne parasites and E. coli.
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