100 holidaymakers hit with sickness bug at British seaside hotel
Over 100 holidaymakers have fallen ill with an airborne virus at a popular British seaside hotel.
Guests at the Cooden Beach Hotel, in Eastbourne, East Sussex, have been struck down by a highly contagious norovirus, leaving them with vomiting and diarrhoea, reports the Mirror.
A Rother District Council spokesperson said that 100 people are believed to have been affected.
According to the Eastbourne Heraldand the Daily Mail, Richard Parker-Harding, RDC service manager for environmental health, said, "We have received a large number of reports of people who attended the hotel over the past week who have complained of suffering from acute sickness.
"Following tests, we have eight confirmed case of norovirus, also known as winter vomiting disease, which causes gastroenteritis and is highly infectious. The virus is easily transmitted through contact with infected individuals from one person to another. We believe the other people who have been ill also had norovirus.
"Outbreaks are common in semi-enclosed environments such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools and cruise ships and can also occur in restaurants and hotels.
"We advised the hotel to inform its customers that this outbreak has occurred and the hotel has now carried out steam cleaning of all its public areas. We are hopeful that the problem has now been resolved, however we will continue to closely monitor conditions at the hotel."
Cooden Beach Hotel owner James Kimber confirmed a specialist steam cleaning of the hotel has been completed, adding: "Recently we had some guests and staff who caught an airborne virus now identified as Norovirus which is very common nationwide and causes short term sickness and tummy upset.
"We contacted the Environment Health Office who came down and did an inspection of the hotel and confirmed that it was nothing to do with food and was an airborne virus. They were pleased with our five star food hygiene systems."
Its website reads that the hotel was built in 1928 and was "recently refurbished to the highest standards", adding: "The hotel stands directly on the beach in quiet Cooden Village, Bexhill. Stunning, uninterrupted seaviews can be enjoyed from most of our lovely rooms."
Related articles
British couple 'locked in cabin' for 48 hours after vomiting bug on cruise
Heston Blumenthal's restaurant closed after sickness bug outbreak
63 diners hit with sickness bug at best restaurant in the world
