05.09.2014
Kayleigh Stannard, aged 26, and partner Luke Burns, 23, were hoping for a relaxing holiday in the sun at the Stella Makadi Gardens Hotel in the Egyptian resort of Makadi Bay, but both suffered illness during their holiday before Kayleigh received a shock diagnosis on her return to the UK.
The couple, who travelled to the resort in November 2013, fell ill midway through the sunshine break experiencing diarrhoea and severe abdominal pains which continued to worsen as the trip went on. Kayleigh also later developed a rash on her leg.
Kayleigh, a Post Office worker from Horsforth in Leeds, had to take a week off work due to ongoing symptoms and after visiting her GP she was diagnosed with Trichostrongylus – a parasite similar to hookworm which occurs through the ingestion of infected larvae (young insects). Kayleigh was prescribed medication to for her illness. However, Kayleigh continues to suffer from symptoms.
Expert travel lawyers are now investigating the couples’ case. The couple described how on occasions they saw flies and insects around the eatery and birds inside the dining area. They also noticed on occasions that a number of chefs and kitchen staff were not wearing gloves when handling food.
“The conditions in the hotel’s dining area were worrying; we saw chefs handling food without wearing gloves quite a few times and on occasions there were insects and birds flying around where the food was being served and eaten.
“This was supposed to be a dream holiday but it quickly turned into an absolute nightmare – it should have been a holiday to remember but is definitely something I’d rather forget.”
Specialist Travel Lawyers Seek Answers For Couple Who Fell Ill
A couple whose dream trip to Egypt turned into a ‘holiday from hell’ when they both fell ill and one of them contracted a parasite known as Trichostrongylus have instructed travel law experts at Irwin Mitchell to help secure justice for their ruined break.Kayleigh Stannard, aged 26, and partner Luke Burns, 23, were hoping for a relaxing holiday in the sun at the Stella Makadi Gardens Hotel in the Egyptian resort of Makadi Bay, but both suffered illness during their holiday before Kayleigh received a shock diagnosis on her return to the UK.
The couple, who travelled to the resort in November 2013, fell ill midway through the sunshine break experiencing diarrhoea and severe abdominal pains which continued to worsen as the trip went on. Kayleigh also later developed a rash on her leg.
Kayleigh, a Post Office worker from Horsforth in Leeds, had to take a week off work due to ongoing symptoms and after visiting her GP she was diagnosed with Trichostrongylus – a parasite similar to hookworm which occurs through the ingestion of infected larvae (young insects). Kayleigh was prescribed medication to for her illness. However, Kayleigh continues to suffer from symptoms.
Expert travel lawyers are now investigating the couples’ case. The couple described how on occasions they saw flies and insects around the eatery and birds inside the dining area. They also noticed on occasions that a number of chefs and kitchen staff were not wearing gloves when handling food.
Kayleigh, who was forced to take a week off work while she recovered from the infection, said: “It was such a shock to return home and hear that I had contracted a parasite – the illness ruined the holiday for me and my partner, Luke.Expert Opinion
We are now investigating how our clients became ill and how Kayleigh became infected with the Trichostrongylus parasite during a Thomas Cook holiday to the Stella Makadi Gardens Hotel in Makadi Bay, Egypt.
“The infection resulted in Kayleigh becoming extremely ill over a number of days and Luke suffered from similar symptoms – ruining their holiday and resulting in Kayleigh taking time off work for recovery when she returned back home.
“We hope that Thomas Cook will now work with us to provide Kayleigh and Luke with the answers they clearly need about these issues to allow them to move on and put the experience behind them. Gastric illness can have a devastating, impact on people’s health and the effects of it cannot be underestimated.”
Elizabeth Tetzner - Partner
“The conditions in the hotel’s dining area were worrying; we saw chefs handling food without wearing gloves quite a few times and on occasions there were insects and birds flying around where the food was being served and eaten.
“This was supposed to be a dream holiday but it quickly turned into an absolute nightmare – it should have been a holiday to remember but is definitely something I’d rather forget.”
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