Personal Injury Solicitors

The head of the Andalucian Health Service, Jose Luis Gutierrez, resigned his post last Thursday (30/01/14), after a fifth victim died from an outbreak of swine flu which is affecting the Andalucia region of Spain.

The Health Ministry has said, however, that Mr Gutierrez’s resignation is not connected with the outbreak of swine flu which is currently sweeping the region.

The latest victim of swine flu in Spain – a 54-year-old woman – died in Hospital Regional Carlos Haya in Malaga, where six more patients are being treated for swine flu according to an online report by The Olive Press.

Andalucia is among the most popular holiday destinations for Britons seeking winter sun – Malaga Airport is the gateway for popular clubbing resorts like Magaluf and the Costa del Sol holiday resorts like Benalmadena and Marbella, including some of the world’s leading golf resorts.

It is reported that a doctor and a young male adult have also died of swine flu on the Costa del Sol.

This is not the first time swine flu has affected the region, however – in 2009 the media reported that there may have been a cover up over the number of victims who died in an outbreak that year. At the time the World Health Organization said that the number of deaths in Spain from swine flu might be an indicator of a global pandemic.

Symptoms of swine flu include sickness and diarrhoea, as well as high fever, aching muscles, tiredness and cough and sore throat.

Holidaymakers who have booked package holidays can ask their tour operator to substitute another holiday of a similar value and standard for any holiday where they may be a risk of contracting a serious infection as a result of an outbreak of illness or a pandemic at their holiday resort. Vulnerable holidaymakers such as children, the elderly or those with chronic illnesses, immune deficiency conditions like HIV or undergoing treatment for cancer may especially be at risk from viral infections such as swine flu.

Thomson/TUI is currently offering information online about precautions being taken against swine flu by the health authorities in Egypt, but not Spain.

For the latest travel advice about swine flu in Spain and other holiday destinations, log on to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website or check with your tour operator before you travel.

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors

Duncan Lewis is a leading firm of holiday accident and illness solicitors and can advise on how to make a no win no fee compensation claim for holiday accidents and illness as a result of the negligence of someone else.

Holidaymakers who book package holidays can make a claim under the Package Travel Regulations 1992 if they sustain injury as a result of a holiday accident caused by someone else – or fall ill as a result of another party’s negligence, including if they are not fully advised of any risk by their tour operator before they arrive at their holiday destination.

For expert legal advice on making a no win no fee claim for holiday accidents and illness contact Duncan Lewis Solicitors on 020 7923 4020.