Felled by a mystery bug

A five-star Fiji holiday turned nasty for 14 Kiwis struck by illness.

It was meant to be a special getaway in the sun.

Four Kiwi families flew to Fiji for a fabulous week together in luxury accommodation, after a year of planning and saving.

But things went awry when all but two of them were struck down by a mystery sickness shortly after arrival.

Vomiting, diarrhoea, cramps and chills confined them to their rooms at five-star accommodation in Denarau, near Nadi, and on Malolo Island.

Cory Bellringer, and his two young daughters Isla, 3, and Ellie, 1, fell ill at the same time.

‘‘It was almost like a domino effect. It was picking off one person at a time,’’ said Bellringer, a former ad executive who now runs a dairy farm near New Plymouth.

‘‘The whole time we were there, there was always someone down with it. We never all got to spend an evening together.’’

They still have no clue whether the gastro-type sickness came from water, food, the aircraft, airport, hotel rooms, or elsewhere. But they are warning others to be careful.

‘‘We tried to nail it down. We couldn’t put our finger on it,’’ he said.

Bellringer said they used only bottled water for drinking and teeth cleaning. They stayed and ate at the five-star Sheraton on Denarau, above, near Nadi, and also stayed on Malolo Island at the Plantation Resort.

They met other visitors to Fiji who had also come down with a similar illness, including wedding guests who were too unwell to attend the event. There was also evidence of people having been ill on the plane.

Most of the group got better in a day or two but one woman was unwell for several days. She was so dehydrated that after her return to Auckland her family doctor put her on a drip for several hours.

Sophie, who didn’t want her last name used, said the medical centre sent a sample for testing but no

It was almost like a domino effect. It was picking off one person at a time. Cory Bellringer, right, with daughter Isla, 3

results have yet come back.

‘‘It wasn’t pretty,’’ she said of her symptoms.

‘‘Was it the water, the hygiene, is it a superbug? I’m really keen to know.

‘‘We got sick at different times during the week in Fiji. Every single night someone was sick. They were dropping like flies.’’

Sophie said that after her experience, and because her husband had been unwell in Fiji on a previous trip, she was not keen to go back.

Bellringer said he would return, but would try to be more careful with what he ate and touched.

‘‘Yes, we’d go back. It did ruin some aspects of the trip but it’s just one of those things.

‘‘Fiji and the weather are still beautiful.’’

Dr David Sinclair from the Auckland Regional Public Health Service said gastroenteritis in travellers returning from Pacific countries was commonly caused by contaminated food and water supplies. Illness ranged from upset stomachs to severe vomiting and diarrhoea.

‘‘It is important people visit the doctor if they suspect gastroenteritis from food or water contamination,’’ he said. A positive result from testing in New Zealand would be reported to public health officials.

Sinclair advised travellers to such countries to eat food that had been thoroughly cooked, and drink only bottled water or sealed cold drinks.

People with vomiting and diarrhoea should keep well hydrated and thoroughly wash their hands, and symptoms usually cleared in a few days, he said.

Resort staff said there were no managers available to comment.