Campylobacter

Campylobacter, when contracted at a holiday hotel, can not only ruin your trip abroad but also leave you out of pocket.

Symptoms of Campylobacter usually last up to 5 days and if the illness is linked to poor standards of food and hygiene in a holiday hotel, you should claim compensation for loss of enjoyment of your holiday and pain and suffering when you return home to the UK.

Anne Thomson, Head of our Holiday Illness Compensation Claims Department, says: “Campylobacter can cause serious illness to holidaymakers in package holiday hotels. If the illness is caused by the negligence of the tour operator or poor hygiene and food practices in the hotel, they should contact me as soon as possible to discuss a compensation claim on 080001 54321 or fill in the online claim form.”

What is campylobacter?

Campylobacter is a bacterial infection causing gastroenteritis. It can affect any age group but is most likely to cause serious illness in children under 5 years of age and in young adults. Severe symptoms may also affect people with weakened immune systems.

Causes of Campylobacter include:

• Eating undercooked meat.
• Drinking unpasteurized milk.
• Cross contamination when raw food comes into contact with cooked food.
• Person to person spread when food handlers do not wash their hands between preparing different foods and using the toilet.
• Food contaminated with bird faeces.

What are common symptoms of Campylobacter?

Typical symptoms of Campylobacter include stomach cramps, vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea, sometimes with mucus or blood.

Prevention of Campylobacter

Campylobacter can be prevented by food handlers if they:

• Wash hands thoroughly before preparing different foods and after using the toilet.
• Never prepare different foods on the same cutting board without washing it thoroughly in between.
• Clean all kitchen work tops thoroughly and frequently.
• Cook all meats and poultry thoroughly.
• Refrigerate foods below 5ºC.
• Never expose foods to bird and insect contamination.

What is the treatment for Campylobacter?

The vast majority of people who contract Campylobacter will recover naturally without any specific treatment but they must rest and drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. In severe cases of the illness antibiotics may be prescribed by a doctor which will shorten the duration of the symptoms but, more often than not, the illness will pass naturally within 2-5 days.