Seven tourists – including an American, four Australians and two unidentified foreign nationals – were hospitalized in Fiji over the weekend after drinking cocktails at a luxury hotel, officials said.
According to the Associated Pressguests, aged 18 to 56, fell ill after drinking piña coladas at a bar at the five-star Warwick Fiji, near the town of Sigatoka on the coast of Viti Levu, Fiji’s largest island.
They were admitted to hospital on Saturday with nausea, vomiting and neurological symptoms, Jemesa Tudravu, a spokesperson for Fiji’s health ministry, told the AP.
Two people remained hospitalized in stable condition Monday, while the others were discharged. Their names were not released.
Comparisons with Laos
The cause of their illness was not immediately known and Fiji’s Tourism Minister Viliame R. Gavoka told reporters on Monday that it was too early to know if contaminated alcohol played a role.
“This is the only reported case of its kind that we have experienced in recent times,” Gavoka said.
But the news drew immediate comparisons an incident last month in Laos where six tourists – including an American and two Australian teenagers – died after drinking poisoned alcohol at a hostel in a Laotian town popular with backpackers in Southeast Asia.
The victims in Laos were believed to have consumed drinks tainted with methanol, which is sometimes added to mixed drinks as a cheaper alternative to ethanol but can cause serious poisoning or death.
Incident under investigation
Gavoka said police have ordered toxicology tests and the results are expected to take three or four days.
“We don’t have the results of the investigation yet,” Gavoka said. “And we won’t know if it was a nail or some other cause until we complete our investigations.”
He said there were no other reports of similar illnesses in the locality.
“The resort management has assured us that they have not engaged in practices such as substituting ingredients or altering the quality of beverages served to guests,” Gavoka said.
Savaira Molaucake, spokesperson for the locality, told NBC News that the hotel is working closely with the authorities and is “doing a thorough investigation.”
“We are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our guests,” Molaucake added.
Australia updates travel advisory
Fiji, an island nation in the South Pacific, is a popular tourist destination for Australians.
At a press conference on Monday, Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers confirmed that four Australians had been hospitalized in Fiji.
“This is very worrying news from Fiji,” Chalmers said. “Our thoughts are with the friends and family of the people affected, this is undoubtedly a very distressing time for them.”
On Sunday, Australia updated their travel information for Fijiwarns travelers to be “aware of the potential risks of drinking spikes and methanol poisoning from consuming alcoholic beverages.”
– Don’t leave your drinks unattended, pay attention when your drinks are mixed and seek emergency medical help if you suspect something is wrong, said Chalmers.
