The Hotel Cavanna in Spain (Image: Google Streetview)
The Costa hotel at the centre of a suspected salmonella outbreak, which laid low more than 100 tourists, has said it “deeply regrets” what happened and it is doing “everything it can” to resolve the situation. Breaking a silence of two days since the first problems began to emerge, the four-star Izan Cavanna Hotel in La Manga also brushed off criticism from guests about the way it had handled the situation.
Regional health chiefs revealed yesterday a total of 47 people had been assisted in the A&E unit of Santa Lucia Hospital in the nearby port city of Cartagena, and said nine people were still being treated there. Those rushed to the hospital are understood to have included several children and a 15-month-old baby, as well as a heavily pregnant woman whose husband described her condition as “delicate” and claimed in an angry social media post that they were being ignored by the hotel.
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A field hospital was set up at the seafront hotel, just 15 minutes from the famous five-star La Manga club resort, to help the remaining guests who fell ill with telltale food poisoning symptoms including nausea, vomiting and in some cases fever.
It is still not clear if any British or Irish holidaymakers have been affected, as authorities have not released a breakdown of the nationalities of those who fell ill.
Initially, 28 guests were said to have been laid low, but by Sunday, the number of people with health problems had jumped to over 100 of the 800 guests understood to have been staying at the hotel.
Regional government health sources have said they are treating the incident as a probable Salmonella poisoning outbreak, although tests are still ongoing.
Izan Cavanna Hotel (Image: Izan Cavanna Hotel)
They are understood to be focusing on two meals available in the Saturday lunchtime restaurant buffet – a fish dish and the sauce used in a spinach-filled pasta dish.
Reacting following reports that guests were considering bringing a class action lawsuit against the hotel, Izan Cavanna bosses said in a lengthy statement yesterday evening: “The management of Hotel Izan Cavanna would like to inform all its customers and partners that it is actively managing a health incident that has affected a limited number of guests with symptoms of gastroenteritis.
“The first cases were reported on the night of Saturday, August 23.
“The health, safety and well-being of our guests and staff are our top priority.
“Since becoming aware of the situation, we have taken immediate action, adopting the following measures:
“Collaboration with health authorities. We immediately notified the local public health authorities, with whom we continue to collaborate closely to investigate the source of the outbreak and, as is only right, to follow all their recommendations and guidelines.
“Assistance to affected guests. Our team is providing the necessary support to affected guests, providing them with medical assistance and attending to their needs to ensure their speedy recovery, while remaining in direct contact with them.
“Hygiene and Disinfection Protocols. We have implemented a thorough disinfection and sanitation protocol in all our facilities, which exceeds our already rigorous cleaning standards.
“Continuity of Service: In order to avoid interrupting service to our guests, we have immediately hired a reputable external catering company. This company will be responsible for providing all meals at the hotel, operating under the strictest food safety certifications and guaranteeing the continuity and quality of our gastronomic offerings.”
They added: “We deeply regret the situation and the concern that this incident may have caused our guests. We would like to express our sincere solidarity with those affected and assure them that we have mobilised all our resources to manage this matter with the utmost diligence and transparency.
“The trust our customers place in us is the foundation of our commitment, and we are doing everything in our power to resolve this situation and ensure a safe and healthy environment for everyone.”
The hotel had been updating its social media by advertising its cocktails and mojitos before making its long-awaited first official comment late yesterday.
In response a Spanish holidaymaker staying at the hotel replied on Sunday: “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 4.30am on Sunday. I spoke with the hotel at 9am to inform them of the seriousness of the situation and my wife’s delicate condition, and now it is 2.20pm 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.
“I’m calling the hotel and no one is answering the phone at this time of day. We need answers.”
Several ambulances were filmed arriving and leaving the hotel from Saturday afternoon onwards, with subsequent reports pointing to some holidaymakers being put on rehydration drips in their rooms while others were laid out on stretchers in hotel corridors.
One guest, a woman identified only as Susan, told a local paper: “The hospital discharged my 15-year-old daughter when was still suffering from fever and dehydration.
“We found her alone in the car park, weak and dizzy. She’s worse than she was before.”
She went on to point the finger at a sauce the teenager had eaten with her spinach ravioli at the hotel buffet at lunchtime on Saturday.
Another tourist said her friend had been unable to leave her room from Saturday night onwards.
She said: “She started to feel unwell after lunch and at dinnertime because she had a stomach ache she only ate a yoghurt.
“We think it’s something to do with the fish because there were four of us at lunch, but she was the only one who ate it. The rest of us ate meat, and we’re fine.”
Salmonella poisoning effects typically include sudden diarrhoea, fever and abdominal cramps which appear between six hours and six days after infection and can last four to seven days.
In some cases, more severe symptoms like bloody diarrhoea or high fever occur, requiring medical attention. Serious complications, though rare, can involve the infection spreading from the intestines to the bloodstream, causing severe illness or leading to long-term issues like reactive arthritis.
Regional health chiefs updated the situation yesterday, saying nine people were still being treated in hospital.
They were described as six adults and three children whose conditions were “stable.”
Officials said 24 adults and 23 children had been assisted in A&E since Saturday.
Investigators said: “The initial microbiological results point to a Salmonella outbreak, but samples are still being taken.”
Full results are expected to take weeks to finalise.
