Warning to travellers heading to Turkey as breakouts of illness reported
manchestereveningnews.co.ukThe source of a serious outbreak of gastrointestinal illness in travellers returning from Turkey has yet to be identified after an investigation was launched by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The NHS found 241 cases of Salmonella Enteritidis in the first half of this year, with many of the cases reported to have travelled to Turkey.
The majority of affected travellers had been to the Antalya region, a popular destination with holidaymakers. The UKHSA said it had detected clusters of the Salmonella Enteritidis strain which they believe is a common source of infection.
In total five ‘clusters’ have been identified where there has been an outbreak. Of the 93 cases where detailed and confirmed travel information was available, it was found that they had all reported staying in a various hotels in Turkey, while most cases reported staying at “all-inclusive holiday package” resorts where “a wide variety of different foods” were eaten, most likely in a buffet set-up. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features. Of the 241 confirmed cases, 56 per cent are male, with the median age being 29.
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