As thousands of Brits plan their next getaway – we reveal the worst holiday destinations for getting sick…and SPAIN is one of the worst

Turkey was a close third with 3,672 cases, with the areas of Marmaris and Oludeniz and Icmeler likely to leave you heading to the toilet rather than the beach.

Leading British Food scientist Richard Conroy, who compiled the stats, said: "The figures are damning and may make you think twice before you book a holiday over Christmas and New Year.

“And what many people don’t realise is that a particularly bad instance of food poisoning can lead to some serious, long-term health problems.

“We’re not just talking about having a dicky tummy for a few days.

“We’ve dealt with clients who’ve been left in crippling joint pain due to salmonella or where people have developed persistent post-infective irritable bowel syndrome following exposure to Salmonella or E.Coli.

“Meanwhile the data for Sharm-el-Sheikh is particularly worrying.

“When you compare it against somewhere like Dubai, where we have had just 40 cases of food poisoning reported in the same period.

“These two places enjoy the same temperatures and conditions, yet one has a food hygiene system in place, and the other simply does not."

Figures show that six out of 10 Brits fall ill while travelling every year, with around 600 suffering from serious food poisoning.

In August, holidaymakers heading to Mexico were warned by Health Protection Scotland about an outbreak of food-poisoning at all-inclusive resorts in the Riviera Maya area.

A whopping 148 sun-seekers, aged between 12 and 76, were struck down with diarrhoea, stomach cramps and vomiting after contracting the Cyclospora parasite across 24 luxury hotels, where guests are believed to have eaten contaminated food.

Resorts in the Riviera Maya and Cancun areas of Mexico garnered a total of 1,857 cases for Sick Holiday.

Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic also landed in the top 10 places Brits might like to avoid, with 1,385 cases in total.

“There is a whole variety of reasons why someone might contract food poisoning, from contaminated water to unhygienically prepared food,” Richard said. “But it can always be avoided.”

Conroy, founder of Sick Holiday, urged UK package holiday operators to clean up their act.

He said: “We want tour operators to use their power and resources to help clean-up the worst offenders.

“Food poisoning kills 420,000 people a year worldwide and 600million people a year get food poisoning.

“If you control temperatures and stop cross contamination, you can avoid food poisoning.”

Holidaymakers shouldn’t just err on the side of caution when it comes to tucking into local fare, with Conroy advising popular all-you-can-eat buffets in all-inclusive resorts can be a breeding ground for nasty bacteria.

He said: “If you have been plagued by sickness while travelling abroad, you’re certainly not alone. We deal with around 40,000 enquiries each year.

“Many of these come from all-inclusive resorts where food is left out for long periods of time, and then reheated. It’s no wonder so many Brits are getting sick.

“Temperature and time run hand in hand when it comes to food poisoning. Lukewarm food served at 35 degrees is a prime growing temperature for food poisoning.

“If you are keeping the food at the wrong temperature and you keep it there for long enough, and it has been cross contaminated, you will always deliver pathogenic bacteria.

“So next time, think twice before eating lukewarm food during your winter break. Your stomach will thank you.”

Richard also pointed out a rise in cases coming from Greece, which ranked at number seven on the list, when strike action by bin men this year caused rubbish bags to pile up in the streets.

He said: “We have seen 828 cases in Greece this year, with places such as Corfu, Rhodes, Zante and Crete cropping up quite a lot.

“What happened earlier this year is that rubbish bags were being piled along the side of the road, animals were pulling the bags apart and the flies were going in, picking up food poisoning bacteria on their feet. Particularly from bin bags filled with used toilet paper.

“A single fly can deposit 1,000 microbes on food that is waiting to be served.

“If after two hours that food does not get eaten, it goes back in and comes out the next day for another two hours.

“It is no coincidence that after a strike by refuse collectors we saw the number of cases coming from Greece rise.

“This is why we get so frustrated with the number of food poisoning cases. Money and effort should be putting into ensuring this does not happen in the first place.”

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