Holiday Complaints and Holiday Illness Glossary
HolidayTravelWatch have compiled a list of the most common holiday illnesses, holiday diseases and those terms that apply to holiday complaints. We regularly add to this glossary, but we welcome any additions that you feel may help our site visitors. Please contact us if you wish to add to the glossary.
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61. Package Travel Directive
This is the primary piece of EU Legislation - 90/314/EEC - which was created on 13 June 1990. This EU legislation was created to protect Travel Consumers and is required to be adopted into each of the Member States. In the UK we know its adoption generally as 'The Package Travel Regulations'.
62. Package Travel Regulations
The Package Travel Regulations were created following a European Directive (90/314/EEC), which answered numerous holiday complaints throughout Europe, of the lack of redress a consumer had in a Package Holiday contract. The Directive was adopted by the UK in the form of the regulations on the 31st December 1992 and they have had considerable impact on the rights of consumers in this country. The Regulations set out how the parties to the contract may be identified and goes onto deal with what information should be provided to the customer at the beginning of the contract. It also sets out the terms and extent of liability a tour operator has toward a holidaymaker.
63. Paratyphoid
Paratyphoid, also known as enteric fever, is a disease caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi. Paratyphoid fever is a similar disease to typhoid fever but generally milder. The disease is almost exclusively acquired abroad through the ingestion of heavily contaminated food and water. Typhoid and paratyphoid bacteria are passed in the faeces and urine of infected people. People become infected by eating food or drinking beverages that have been handled by an infected person, or by drinking water that has been contaminated by sewage containing the bacteria. Good hygiene and proper sanitation prevent the spread of paratyphoid and typhoid.
64. Pontiac Fever
Pontiac fever is a mild flu-like illness caused be legionella bacteria, often affecting previously healthy and young individuals. Symptoms can include fever, headaches and muscle aches but, unlike Legionnaires' disease, Pontiac fever does not cause pneumonia. The illness will usually clear up without treatment within two to three days. Outbreaks of the disease in the UK are uncommon but have been connected to the inhalation of legionella bacteria found in spa pools. Outbreaks of Pontiac fever have been reported to be caused by L. pneumophila. L. feeleii, L. micdadei and L. anisa. Pontiac fever may separately, or together with Legionnaires' disease, be referred to as 'Legionellosis'. In contrast to Legionnaires' disease, a high proportion of those exposed to the source of infection may become ill.
65. Promissory Estoppel (Contract Law)
Estoppel means that someone is prevented from going back on their word or promise.
66. Psittacosis
Psittacosis is caused by infection with the bacterium Chlamydophila psittaci. It is primarily an infection of birds, but can cause pneumonia and other severe health problems in humans. Human infection is usually due to exposure to infected pet birds, such as cockatiels, parakeets, parrots, and macaws, or to poultry.
67. Quantum Meruit (Contract Law)
Means ‘As much as he has earned’. This means that someone who has done 1/3 of the work they are required to do under a contract, they will be able to claim 1/3 of the payment owed.
68. Rabies
Rabies is an acute viral infection that is nearly always fatal. Transmission is usually through saliva via the bite of an infected animal, with dogs being the main transmitter of rabies to humans. The World Health Organization has estimated the annual number of human rabies deaths to be between 40,000 and as high as 70,000. Most of these deaths take place in developing countries, particularly in South and South East Asia.
69. Rat Bite Fever
Human infection is usually acquired either from a rat bite/scratch, handling infected rats, or, in the case of the form of disease known as Haverhill fever, ingestion of milk or water contaminated with the organism (via rat urine). A large outbreak occurred following this route of transmission in the UK in 1983 (McEvoy 1987). At a boarding school in Essex, 304 pupils (of 700, 43%) had a febrile illness with arthralgia and a rash. Four cases were blood culture positive for S. moniliformis. Raw milk initially appeared to be the vehicle of infection, but detailed epidemiological investigations and analysis showed that the vehicle was more likely to have been water. Opportunity for contamination of drinking water by rats existed, although contamination was not confirmed by the isolation of S. moniliformis from either rats or the water supply. Rat-bite fever usually develops within 7 days of the bite, and begins abruptly with fever and chills, followed by severe myalgia and joint pain, headache and nausea. Many patients develop a rash, most often on the extremities. About half of all patients develop a non-suppurative arthritis, and a minority of cases have a form of non-bacteraemic disease with septic arthritis. Person-to-person transmission does not occur.
70. Recission (Contract Law)
This is an equitable remedy of the court. This cancels the contract and will put the parties to the contract back in their original positions.
71. Rectification (Contract Law)
Where a mistake has been made in a contract, the court can correct the mistake made by both parties.
72. Referral Code
This is the Code that governs how a referral should be made from a claims management company and a solicitor. They are monitored by the Claims Management Regulator.
73. Rotovirus
The most common causes of gastroenteritis in infants and young children are rotaviruses. However, rotavirus diarrhoea can occur in all age groups. The incidence has been fairly stable over the last decade. Rotavirus produces watery diarrhoea lasting for 5–8 days, preceded by vomiting. Dehydration, compensated metabolic acidosis, and low-grade fever may occur. Incubation period is 24–48 h.
74. Salmonella
Salmonella bacteria cause food poisioning, typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever. More than 2500 different strains of salmonella have been identified. Young children, the elderly and people whose immune systems are not working properly have a greater risk of becoming severely ill. Symptoms include watery diarrhoea, stomach cramps and sometimes vomiting and fever. Salmonella has a short incubation period of 12 to 72 hours. Person-to-person spread can occur. The symptoms are diarrhoea and vomiting, abdominal pain and fever, with possible complications of septicaemia and local infections. Salmonella enteritidis accounted for about 57% of all Salmonella infections in 2000 (Salmonella enteritidis phage type 4 accounted for 57% of these). The proportion of Salmonella enteritidis infections rose throughout the 1980s and 1990s, but has started to fall over the last few years, since 1997. This may result from improvements in food hygiene and vaccination of poultry flocks. Transmission occurs by eating contaminated food, mainly of animal origin, or by faecal contamination from an infected person or animal.
75. Shigella
Shigella infections have fallen dramatically from a peak in 1992: most of the peak was due to Shigella sonnei, and even though the incidence of this pathogen has declined relative to other Shigella species, it still provided 68% of all isolates in 1998. However, Shigella sonnei infection is generally milder than infections due to other species of Shigella, which are usually acquired outside the UK. Spread is mainly faecal–oral, with only occasional spread from food and water. The disease is highly contagious. The incubation period is 1–7 days.
HTW has noted that amongst the submissions to the Committee on Toxicity (COT) it has been suggested that the symptoms highlighted by crew and passengers were akin to the condition of hyperventilation.
HTW has for many years received reports from concerned holiday makers or independent travellers as to the safety of their aircraft, ship or boat, train or road transport.
