Bahia Principe Hotel quickly assessed the situation along with government health officials as well as Opetur and Cristal (A health and safety company used world wide by British Tour operators & it operates on a point system, more points, higher cleanliness standards etc.,.) to find out what the problem was.

Finding that there was no water contamination, Cristal scores were high and other areas passed with the same standards, norovirus was detected by officials.  Initially only British tourists were effected by the 1-2 day illness as norovirus is spread quickly through hand to mouth contamination.  In a hotel where there are at least ten other nationalities vacationing at the same time it was strange that only the Brits were effected at first.  The strain of norovirus may have been brought in from the plane everyone was traveling on, as no other nationality was affected when the outbreak commenced.

Norovirus is not a tropical borne virus and survives better in colder climates, however even touching the same table or spoon etc.,. as someone who has contracted the virus could pass it on.  Hence how quickly the virus spreads through out cruise ships.

At the moment Bahia Prinicipe Hotel on the north coast of the Dominican Republic is closed but will be re opening its doors on the 31st August 2007.  There have been no other norovirus complaints in the north coast of the Dominican Republic and it is considered a rare outbreak.

If you have booked your holiday or vacation at the Bahia Principe Hotel, north coast, then please speak to your booking agent or tour operator to check where in the meantime you will be staying when you arrive in the Dominican Republic.