MELBOURNE, Australia — MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Seven foreign tourists who had been hospitalized in Fiji after consuming cocktails at a resort bar weren’t poisoned by alcohol or illicit medication, officers mentioned Wednesday following a toxicology report.
The reason for the vacationers’ sickness over the weekend stays underneath investigation, Fiji’s Tourism Minister Viliame R. Gavoka mentioned.
“I can affirm that no illicit substances or methanol had been discovered within the substances or liquor samples,” Gavoka instructed reporters within the capital, Suva.
“The findings that there is no such thing as a proof of alcohol poisoning is nice information for Fiji, particularly for our very important tourism business,” he added.
All seven vacationers have since totally recovered, he mentioned.
They turned unwell on the five-star Warwick resort close to the city of Sigatoka on Saturday.
The vacationers, together with Australians and an American, had been hospitalized with nausea, vomiting and neurological signs, Fiji’s Well being Ministry mentioned.
Information retailers had reported the reason for the foreigners’ sickness was suspected alcohol poisoning, just like a case in Laos final month by which six vacationers — together with two Australian youngsters — died after consuming drinks tainted with methanol.
The suspicion of methanol poisoning was a blow to Fiji’s tourism business, which has a popularity for offering protected meals and drinks.
Alcohol poisoning is a typical hazard in lots of poorly regulated vacationer locations, the place respected manufacturers of spirits are substituted with domestically distilled ethanol. Methanol might be an unintended byproduct of unprofessional distillation.
Fiji Everlasting Secretary for Well being Jemesa Tudravu mentioned the diseases may have been brought on by a chemical response or an infection. His division was persevering with to analyze.
Gavoka urged international governments to take away from their journey advisories warnings a threat of drink spiking in Fiji that emerged this week.
He mentioned the vacationer business had been rocked by media studies of suspected contaminated drinks, however vacationers had not canceled their holidays.
“There isn’t any indication of individuals canceling. What we hear is people who find themselves in a way of disbelief that Fiji might be spiking drinks or Fiji might be including some dangerous stuff into the cocktails,” Gavoka mentioned.
Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka mentioned the incident had been confined to a single resort.
“We would like to inform everyone that it is protected to return to Fiji and we have now to additionally discover out who has been giving out the unfavourable press about Fiji as a vacation spot. Are they opponents for our vacationer guests?” Rabuka mentioned to reporters.
