As if huge mounds of sargassum seaweed on Quintana Roo’s beaches were not enough, Moctezuma is taking his revenge on British tourists in Cancún and the Riviera Maya, where nearly 50 have fallen ill.

According to a report by the Daily Express newspaper, a number of British tourists have been struck by a crippling bug that has resulted in sickness and diarrhoea, prompting warnings from that country’s health authorities.

The newspaper said that as many as 48 tourists have been affected by the illness, caused by the cyclospora bug, which comes from food contaminated with human feces.

Lawyer Nick Harris, who represents victims of past and current outbreaks, said: “The current number of victims is just the tip of the iceberg and this is now obviously out of control again but should have been avoided.

“People should have been warned before traveling so that they could make an informed choice. This is beyond belief.”

He has urged travelers to ask for a cyclospora test, otherwise there is a risk that “someone will die before the problem is treated seriously.”

Richard Elson of Public Health England said, “We strongly urge people to maintain a high standard of food, water and personal hygiene when traveling to the Riviera Maya coast in Mexico and to be aware of the risk of infection from a food and water bug, cyclospora.”

Health records show 78 British travelers were affected by the bug last year, while 443 fell ill the year before.

Source: Daily Express (en)