1,500 HIT BY FOOD BUG AT SIX FIRST CHOICE RESORTS; Hol firm faces payout of pounds 10million.Byline: STEPHEN MOYES FIRST Choice faces a pounds 10million damages claim from 1,500 sick holidaymakers. Families staying at six of its most popular Holiday Villages have been hit by a deluge of gastric illnesses over the last three years. Claims are being processed from people who stayed at the Spanish bases in the Costa del Sol and Majorca and also in Turkey, Egypt, Mexico and the Dominican Republic Dominican Republic (dəmĭn`ĭkən), republic (2005 est. pop. 8,950,000), 18,700 sq mi (48,442 sq km), West Indies, on the eastern two thirds of the island of Hispaniola. The capital and largest city is Santo Domingo. . At Sarigerme in Turkey more than 700 were taken ill this summer. Yesterday First Choice told the Mirror that it is axing its Holiday Village resorts in Mexico and the Dominican Republic from next month. The three bugs mainly to blame are salmonella, often caused by food not being cooked or stored properly; campylobacter Campylobacter Genus of gram-negative spiral-shaped bacteria infecting mammals. Many species, especially C. fetus, cause miscarriage in sheep and cattle. C. jejuni is a common cause of food poisoning. Sources include meats (particularly chicken) and unpasteurized milk. , from contamination and cryptosporidium cryptosporidium (krĭp'tōspərĭd`ēəm), genus of protozoans having at least four species; they are waterborne parasites that cause the disease cryptosporidiosis. , often the result of faeces in water. Birmingham-based solicitors Irwin Mitchell said: "We anticipate the cases will attract damages over pounds 10million, especially as the resort is a 'repeat offender'." A First Choice spokeswoman said: "The health and safety of our customers is our primary focus. "Holiday Villages are all large properties and the reported level of illness is very low considering the large population." |
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