Over 100 tourists stricken by suspected Salmonella food poisoning after lunch at Spanish resort

In the current times, it seems it is vital to be highly confident in the safety of what you are eating and how it has been prepared. In southern Spain, more than 100 tourists including a 15-month-old baby and seven children fell ill with suspected salmonella poisoning.The young ones were among 20 people said to have been taken to Santa Lucia Hospital in the nearby city of Cartagena due to a health issue at the four-star Izan Cavanna Hotel in the renowned resort of La Manga near Murcia. Additionally, a field hospital was set up near the hotel after guests experienced symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and even fever, all following a lunch at the hotel.Health officials have collected samples from the kitchen of the now-closed hotel for the ongoing investigation, whereas the regional government health sources said that they were treating it as a probable salmonella poisoning outbreak.

What caused the poisoning?

Well, several guests have pointed fingers at a fish dish as well as a spinach-filled pasta dish served at the hotel's buffet restaurant on Saturday, though officials have not confirmed which meal caused the poisoning. Another Spanish guest told a local newspaper how her daughter had been discharged while she was still suffering from fever and dehydration and her condition was worse than before. She also blamed the sauce her 15-year-old had eaten with her spinach ravioli at the buffet during Saturday lunchtime.

How did the hotel respond?

While the hotel made no statement about the guests' health problems or the occurrence on their social media site, they did publish a Facebook post advertising their cocktails and mojitos.In response, a Spanish holidaymaker staying at the hotel replied, 'Hello, I am still staying in room 826, and yesterday more than 40 people were affected by food poisoning from a spoiled product at the buffet. I am at the Santa Lucia Hospital in Cartagena because my wife is one of those affected, and she is eight months pregnant and has been admitted to the hospital.''I left the hotel at 4.30 am on Sunday. I spoke with the hotel at 9 am to inform them of the seriousness of the situation and my wife's delicate condition, and now it is 2.20 pm and I still haven't received a call from anyone at the hotel. My belongings and my wife's belongings are still in the room, as we have a reservation until Monday.'He added how he had been calling the hotel but no one was answering, demanding some answers from them.Additionally, those who arrived at the hotel on Sunday revealed that they were not informed about the problems when they arrived and had a subsequent lunch there before the restaurant was subsequently closed.Salmonella poisoning can have symptoms such as sudden diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps that appear within the time frame of six hours to six days after the infection and can last from four to seven days.