Tourists hospitalised as over 100 including baby struck down with vomiting bug from buffet at Costa hotel

MORE than 100 tourists including a 15-month-old baby and dozens of children have been hit with a vomiting bug at a Costa hotel.

Youngsters were among 47 people rushed to hospital following a suspected salmonella poisoning at the four-star Izan Cavanna Hotel in the popular Spanish resort of La Manga, near Murcia.

The devastating sickness outbreak comes at the height of the summer holidays as thousands of Brits have descended on the popular resort to soak up the sun and sea.

La Manga, also known as a 'Mecca' for sun, beaches and watersports, attracts thousands of Brits every year - chasing white sand and beachfront hotels and bars.

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Over 100 out of the 800 guests are believed to have been infected.

A total of 47 went to A&E, regional health officials confirmed, and nine were still being treated at Santa Lucía Hospital in Cartagena on Monday afternoon.

There were 24 adults and 23 children admitted - including a baby.

A field hospital was also hastily set up at the seafront hotel after guests were struck with bouts of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, where more patients were treated.

Some were even struck with a fever following lunch at the hotel.

Ambulances were filmed arriving at the hotel on Saturday as holidaymakers were reportedly put on hydration drips in their rooms and stretchers in hotel corridors.

Initial test results suggest the patients were struck with Salmonella, although investigations are ongoing.

The hotel's kitchen has been temporarily closed and officials have ordered for it to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

It was not immediately clear how many British and Irish holidaymakers are staying at the hotel.

The hotel published a Facebook post advertising its cocktails and mojitos early yesterday but hasn't posted about the reported Salmonella outbreak.

The post received a torrent of criticism with one holidaymaker fuming at the hotel's lack of care after his pregnant wife became infected.

He said: “Hello, I am still staying in room 826, and yesterday more than 40 people were affected by food poisoning from a spoiled product at the buffet.

“I am at the Santa Lucia Hospital in Cartagena because my wife is one of those affected and she is eight months pregnant and has been admitted to the hospital.

“I left the hotel at 4.30am on Sunday. I spoke with the hotel at 9am to inform them of the seriousness of the situation and my wife's delicate condition, and now it is 2.20pm and I still haven't received a call from anyone at the hotel.

“My belongings and my wife's belongings are still in the room, as we have a reservation until Monday.

"I'm calling the hotel and no one is answering the phone at this time of day. We need answers.”

Meanwhile, dozens of unhappy guests have vented their frustrations at the "sincerely bland" hotel with "terrible food" in the dining room.

Referring to the hotel as "pretentious" and "expensive" one customer said he was appalled by a dining experience he deemed not even fit "for the dogs".

Describing the menu as "horror-movie like", the disgruntled guest said he was offered defrosted hake and fries that "were floating in water".

Another customer fumed: "This is supposed to be a four star hotel? The rooms feel like a time machine straight to the 1970s, but not in a charming retro way."

A third added: "This situation has led me to be the two days that I was very uncomfortable in the hotel, wanting to leave that same day and I do not want other customers to have to go through this. For this reason I will not return or recommend it.

And a fourth raged: "The hotel leaves a lot to be desired to be a 4 star for me taste spare.

"It is an old hotel, old facilities, tasteless food and for the elderly, Service unfriendly management and without giving solutions to cockroaches in the bathroom of the room."

Several guests have pointed the finger at a fish dish and a spinach-filled pasta dish served at the hotel’s buffet restaurant but officials have not yet confirmed which meal caused the problem.

One guest, a Spanish woman identified only as Susan, told a local paper her teenage daughter was discharged from hospital despite showing signs of a fever and dehydration.

She said: “The hospital discharged my 15-year-old daughter when was still suffering from fever and dehydration.

“We found her alone in the car park, weak and dizzy. She’s worse than she was before.”

Another guest claimed her friend was unable to leave her room after eating dinner at the hotel's restaurant on Saturday.

She said: “She started to feel unwell after lunch and at dinnertime because she had a stomach ache she only ate a yogurt.

“We think it’s something to do with the fish because there were four of us at lunch but she was the only one that ate it. The rest of us ate meat and we’re fine.”

A number of families with children are said to have left the hotel early after registering official complaints at reception.

Meanwhile, Sunday arrivals claim they were not informed about the problems when they arrived and had a buffet lunch at the hotel before it was closed.

Salmonella poisoning effects typically include sudden diarrhoea, fever and abdominal cramps which appear between six hours and six days after infection and can last four to seven days.

In some cases, more severe symptoms like bloody diarrhoea or high fever occur, requiring medical attention.

Serious complications, though rare, can involve the infection spreading from the intestines to the bloodstream, causing severe illness or leading to long-term issues like reactive arthritis.

The hotel has yet to publish any official comment on its Instagram, Facebook or website.