British holidaymakers who contract Cyclospora at an all-inclusive hotel in Mexico will not know they’ve got the condition unless they’re tested for it. If you start showing symptoms of a gastric illness during your holiday, report it to a member of the hotel staff straight away.
You should also let your tour operator know about the problem and get help from a medical professional as soon as possible to stop your condition getting worse. If you receive medical attention while you’re on holiday, make sure you let your travel insurance company know.
When seeing a doctor or medical professional, ask for a stool sample test to be carried out, as this will help to establish what pathogen (bacteria, virus, other microorganism) you’re suffering from, and ensure you get the correct and most effective medical treatment as soon as possible.
It may be that when you consult a medical professional while in Mexico that you are given medication such called “Bactiver” (which contains Co-trimoxazole). If you are given Bactiver or medication containing Co-trimoxazole without having a stool sample tested, it’s likely that the medical practitioner in Mexico suspects that you have contracted Cyclospora, as to the best of our knowledge, such medication is not usually used to treat other food poisoning bugs such as Salmonella, Cryptosporidium and Shigella.
If you are prescribed medication or treated by a medical professional on holiday, you may wish to contact NHS Direct or your GP directly while you are abroad as well. You may wish to do this in any event, particularly if you suffer from allergies/extreme reactions to certain types of medication.
You should contact your GP back in the UK if you’re suffering from a sickness bug while you are still on holiday, as they can tell you whether what you’ve been prescribed is suitable. Because of the long incubation period for Cyclospora (which can be up to 14 days), your symptoms might not start until you have returned. But if you or a member of your family are seriously unwell, it’s vital that you get medical attention as soon as possible, which means you’ll need to trust the advice a doctor or other healthcare professional in Mexico gives you.
If you think that you contracted Cyclospora due to poor hygiene standards or from the food at your hotel or resort in Mexico, get in touch with our Holiday Claims Solicitors as soon as possible. You can contact us 24/7 by clicking on “request a callback” in the green area below.
At Simpson Millar we have successfully dealt with thousands of holiday sickness claims on a No Win, No Fee basis. For free legal advice get in touch with our specialist team of Holiday Claims Solicitors.