Warning - Multiple people sick at Iberostar

[redacted]

When your wife say, "Have the garlic conch, you'll like it." DON'T

 

[Noboundaries]

We've always stayed at the Palace resorts on the Yucatan and on Cozumel and never had a problem (eight trips).

Wife got Montie's Revenge on one trip when she got a soft drink with ice in it at the Cancun airport just before flying home. It wasn't the purified ice with the hole through the middle and she didn't catch it until it was too late.

We now travel with antibiotics just in case.

 

[peterbj7]

Far worse than that sort of illness is hepatitis A, which generally comes from dirty water. I got it in Egypt from a single bottle of water that I didn't actually break the seal of myself. The water was ice cold and I couldn't taste it until I had already drunk too much. THEN I realised it was not pure water. Although I had all then current medications for nasties (including gammaglobulin) I still contracted the disease. It's a very serious illness that greatly affects you for the rest of your life. So whatever the current prophylactic for Hep A is (I don't know, as I'm now immune), make sure you're current with it.

Reputable restaurants in Mexico should use bottled water to wash veggies/salads and to make ice, so when you first go to a new one look for signs that this is the case there. Ask. Here in Belize it's always the case, imposed by law which is seriously enforced, even though the piped water supply here on the island of Ambergris Caye is pure and heavily chlorinated. Sterile though a bit tasty!

 

[millersacre]

I have heard that taking several garlic tablet every day does a lot to prevent Montie's Revenge. Anybody else heard that.
Bob

 

[peterbj7]

It certainly helps to keep the bugs away, and what they bring can make you pretty sick.

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

I am a very lucky kid. Even tracking through India and Sri Lanka, I have never had troubles. Bottled water for brushing teeth, people, is a key point. and carry the hand sanitizer everywhere! I have more of that than clothes. Open a door, touch money, sanitize. It is amazing how bad it is to touch things... And If you want to "see" something, actually look with your eyes not your hands..
In other places I have seen chicken and other random meats hanging or sitting in the heat outside a back door, and you could see it had been there all day, they were using it as a doorstop...
Be careful, have it cooked deader than dead, bring your caste-iron stomach. Money is the absolute worst. I refused to take some when this fellow did a Pakistani snot rocket and then tried to hand me my change.... Consider it a tip now....

 

[TwoBitTxn]

Far worse than that sort of illness is hepatitis A, which generally comes from dirty water. I got it in Egypt from a single bottle of water that I didn't actually break the seal of myself. The water was ice cold and I couldn't taste it until I had already drunk too much. THEN I realised it was not pure water. Although I had all then current medications for nasties (including gammaglobulin) I still contracted the disease. It's a very serious illness that greatly affects you for the rest of your life. So whatever the current prophylactic for Hep A is (I don't know, as I'm now immune), make sure you're current with it.

The prophylactic is the vaccination. It's two shots 6 months apart. It's worth it.

 

[CajunDiva]

I got the Hep A shots before visiting Kenya 7 years ago. Are they good for life or do I need to re-vaccinate?

 

[sealskin98]

I've never had a problem yet after about 15 years...(bows to Montezuma).

But, I drink well water here at home...it's all I got.

Does that count as a vaccine?

I know, it's not funny. Just had a bout of stuff here at home day before yesterday. Ouch! Couldn't have been the water though, I'm used to it. Musta been somethin' I ate or a virus that's going around now or something. Couldn't have been the imported tomato salmonella thing that's going around now as we grow our own.

From what I know, which is not much, Coz. is pretty fastidious about the drinking water...and some resorts only use purified water in their water supply, including the shower/sink supply. I've seen the tanker trucks doing the delivery.

But, I've been on several trips with an M.D. as a dive buddy. Always follow the safety rules when traveling. And don't eat AI at the hotel!

Then after all of the advise he gave me of not bushing your teeth with tap water and such (which is good), I've seen the M.D. run up to a push cart on the corner and grab some lunch. It was good too.

And there is this very nice lady that sets up on the N.E. corner of the Plaza...that makes some great lunches!

Disclaimer: AI ain't always bad! But I never stay at the southern resorts anymore either. Dirty water is a major cause of disease in Third World Countries, but Mexico...especially Coz., is not a Third World Country. But...there can be problems.

 

[MMM]

Here's a simple solution - eat only where you see locals eating. That means you won't eat much at AIs or at the bars on the east side. I've been to Coz lots and I eat at every hole in the wall on the island. I never get sick. Well, that's not quite true - our group of 3 were sick for over a week after eating at a Cancun airport restaurant. And I was sick once before on the way back - I think it was the sushi in Minneapolis.

I brush my teeth with local water too and don't lose much sleep about showering with my mouth open! But I do eat yogurt pretty much every day.