Holiday from hell: How eating Pad Thai from food court in Thailand left Aussie couple with debilitating illness

[webfact]

Holiday from hell: How eating Pad Thai from food court in Thailand left Aussie couple with debilitating illness

 

 

A couple from Australia have revealed how eating a plate of Pad Thai from a food court in Thailand left them with a debilitating illness which almost cost them their livelihood. 

 

Stacey Barnes and Ryan Prigg from Perth, along with their two children, visited Thailand for a holiday in 2017.

 

Shortly after returning home they both began to feel unwell and completely drained of energy to the point where they could not even get out of bed.

 

After repeated visits to the doctor to try and establish what was wrong with them, tests revealed that they had contracted Dientamoeba Fragilis, a dangerous parasite, which they claim was caught from the Pad Thai dish they had eaten at a food court in Thailand.

 

Dientamoeba Fragilis is a parasite that can cause a number of health issues such as diarrhoea, nausea, loss of appetite and in extreme cases, chronic fatigue. 

 

The couple, who were recently the subject of a feature by 7 News Perth, described the past two years as the hardest thing they have ever had to deal with.

 

Holiday from hell – Hear a Perth family’s warning, after a parasite wreaked havoc on their bodies and their business.#7NEWS @Rob7Scott pic.twitter.com/sxDBzWhcTk

— 7NEWS Perth (@7NewsPerth) July 7, 2019

 

Mr Prigg also vowed never to go back to Thailand, saying: “I won't go back, yeah life changing, I won't go back – ever”.

 

The couple also revealed how their ill health meant they were unable to work.

 

“Losing our online business, my passion and a big purpose really was hard, mentally physically, emotionally and financially!” Ms Barnes wrote online.

 

“It’s made the last year and a half of my life, one of the hardest times of my life,” she said online.

 

“Every day was a struggle from the get go. I had no memory I couldn't recall anything. I was in a constant state of fogginess.”

 

At the fourth time of asking, the couple finally found a doctor who was willing to treat their illness and who put them on a 4 week course of antibiotics. 

 

The report didn’t reveal exactly how doctors were able to determine that the meal of Pad Thai was the source of the parasite.

 

Via: PerthNow

 

 

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[fforest1]

Maybe it was airline food that did them in....

[BTB1958]

They only ate one dish of food the whole time they were here.? 

[Chelseafan]

1 minute ago, fforest1 said:

Maybe it was airline food that did them in....

I'll tell you what, you're not wrong. Twice now I've got food poisoning and on both occasions it was on Emirates travelling first ????

 

I would of thought a pad thai was fairly safe as it's cooked in hot oil which would probably kill most of the bacteria.

 

 

[Anythingleft?]

They only ate one dish of food the whole time they were here.? 

Pretty easy to narrow down the meal that starts an episode of food poisoning.....

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

[sammieuk1]

Looks like they ate some pad die by mistake????

[BobbyL]

It is great how two years later they can specifically say it was the Pad Thai. Did they keep their stools after that meal as evidence?

[bkkbudddy]

Greetings, 

I had many episodes of food poisoning in Thailand!  Therefore,  I'm very careful of what and where I eat in Thailand!

[Lionrock2312]

2 minutes ago, BobbyL said:

It is great how two years later they can specifically say it was the Pad Thai. Did they keep their stools after that meal as evidence?

 

er they didn't wait 2 years to see the doctor did they

[BobbyL]

2 minutes ago, Lionrock2312 said:

 

er they didn't wait 2 years to see the doctor did they

But they went to the doctor after returning to Australia. Strange how they can exactly pinpoint that one dish as the cause. 

[londonthai]

Almost impossible to get a parasite from a freshly cooked meal. More likely from sushi, undercooked fish or meat. From contaminated water or unwashed fruit, vegetable salad. 

They dragged going to doctors and getting just a simple antibiotic for 4 weeks. Over the last 2 years their infection spread, should be treated as soon as they got their first symptoms without affecting their lifes. 

On the first visit to doctors they should point out that they came back from a tropical country and a simple laboratory test will show this parasite. 

The story smell fake, hard to believe their delayed treatment and doctors incompetence

 

Edited July 8, 2019 by londonthai

[4MyEgo]

I learned a few years ago to only eat at the same place that I have eaten before, or if it's a new place, not before the wife gives the nod.

 

Thai's are generally not clean when it comes to cooking or hygiene, believe you me, I don't say that lightly, having seen first hand on many occasions their lack of preparing food or not throwing food out to save on losses.

 

When travelling on planes, I take my own sandwich and some light healthy snacks, like almonds etc, plane food is not a good source of food and is high in salt and sugar to keep its shelf life longer.

 

Eating my wife's cooking reminds me day in, day out that I am the world's luckiest bloke who eats at the best restaurant (home), with everythings she makes being made from love, yet she still asks me with uncertainty after 12 years of marriage, "is ok" Tiruk, with a half smile ?

 

Edited July 8, 2019 by 4MyEgo

[tracker1]

10 minutes ago, BobbyL said:

It is great how two years later they can specifically say it was the Pad Thai. Did they keep their stools after that meal as evidence?

Shit No !

[tracker1]

They should have stayed ! Can't work, unable to get out of bed and fogginess would have fitted in well here with the locals !

[RichardColeman]

47 minutes ago, webfact said:

Mr Prigg also vowed never to go back to Thailand, saying: “I won't go back, yeah life changing, I won't go back – ever”.

Another satisfied tourist for the TAT's figures

[ChipButty]

14 minutes ago, londonthai said:

Almost impossible to get a parasite from a freshly cooked meal. More likely from sushi, undercooked fish or meat. From contaminated water or unwashed fruit, vegetable salad. 

Their dragged going to doctors and getting just a simple antibiotic for 4 weeks. Over the last 2 years their infection spread, should be treated as soon as they got their first symptoms without affecting their lifes. 

On the first visit to doctors they should point out that they came back from a tropical country and a simple laboratory test will show this parasite. 

The story smell fake, hard to believe their delayed treatment and doctors incompetence

 

You forgot Mayonnaise a young girl some years ago thought she would stay safe and just eat chips and mayonnaise she didn't manage to get home 

[bert bloggs]

When you get food poisoning ,you get it within an hour or so , not days later when you get home ,so their story is a load of rubbish.

[ChipButty]

17 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I learned a few years ago to only eat at the same place that I have eaten before, or if it's a new place, not before the wife gives the nod.

 

Thai's are generally not clean when it comes to cooking or hygiene, believe you me, I don't say that lightly, having seen first hand on many occasions their lack of preparing food or not throwing food out to save on losses.

 

When travelling on planes, I take my own sandwich and some light healthy snacks, like almonds etc, plane food is not a good source of food and is high in salt and sugar to keep its shelf life longer.

 

Eating my wife's cooking reminds me day in, day out that I am the world's luckiest bloke who eats at the best restaurant (home), with everythings she makes being made from love, yet she still asks me with uncertainty after 12 years of marriage, "is ok" Tiruk, with a half smile ?

 

Thai's dont wash their hands after having a shi# 

[worgeordie]

21 minutes ago, bkkbudddy said:

Greetings, 

I had many episodes of food poisoning in Thailand!  Therefore,  I'm very careful of what and where I eat in Thailand!

Other side of the coin ,lived here long time,had food poison once,

and that was the first month here.

regards worgeordie

[Andrew65]

I never ate street food when I lived in Thailand (except fruit), I also never got sick. How long has the raw food been out of the refrigerator or freezer. Where does the operator of the food stall go to the toilet and where do they wash their hands?

 

Another thing worth knowing when flying, most airlines in the world ban seafood from pilot's on-duty diets.

[Tayaout]

After many years I got food poisoning only twice. Twice In a food court! I never eat in these kind of place anymore. I eat street food all the time and never had any issue. 

Edited July 8, 2019 by Tayaout

[Peterw42]

53 minutes ago, webfact said:

Shortly after returning home they both began to feel unwell and completely drained of energy to the point where they could not even get out of bed.

From the OP, "Shortly after returning home they both began to feel unwell". Not 1 hour later, not 1 day later !!!!

They got home to Australia then felt sick, amazing detective skills to link it back to one specific meal eaten days/weeks prior.

[eezergood]

9 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

When you get food poisoning ,you get it within an hour or so , not days later when you get home ,so their story is a load of rubbish.

Not always, but certainly not 4 weeks later.....

 

[ezzra]

It's unfair and premature to rubbish a whole country just because they claim they got sick from one dish, parasite can be picked up just about anywhere unsanitary and when you're traveling, there are many such places, to me it looks like sour grapes not happy with Thailand and take it out on a country with 40 million visitors a year with a very little health issues...

[4MyEgo]

9 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Thai's dont wash their hands after having a shi# 

At least they got one thing right then oi, i.e. doing the Wai instead of shaking our hand.

 

 

 

[NCC1701A]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

began to feel unwell and completely drained of energy to the point where they could not even get out of bed.

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

diarrhoea, nausea, loss of appetite and in extreme cases, chronic fatigue. 

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

no memory

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

constant state of fogginess

yes but what where your unusual symptoms? 

[4MyEgo]

3 minutes ago, ezzra said:

It's unfair and premature to rubbish a whole country just because they claim they got sick from one dish, parasite can be picked up just about anywhere unsanitary and when you're traveling, there are many such places, to me it looks like sour grapes not happy with Thailand and take it out on a country with 40 million visitors a year with a very little health issues...

I prefer to believe some news every now and again, and from past experiences.

 

https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2018/06/27/food-poisoning-in-thailand-its-a-real-danger-to-thais-and-a-menace-to-western-foreigners/

[potless]

17 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

When you get food poisoning ,you get it within an hour or so , not days later when you get home ,so their story is a load of rubbish.

It can take 24 to 48 hours to manifest, sometimes longer. Depends on the bug.

Edited July 8, 2019 by potless

[bluesofa]

41 minutes ago, BobbyL said:

It is great how two years later they can specifically say it was the Pad Thai. Did they keep their stools after that meal as evidence?

I think they were reclining seats.

[potless]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

At the fourth time of asking, the couple finally found a doctor who was willing to treat their illness and who put them on a 4 week course of antibiotics. 

They had to ask 4 times to get treated. Thats a cause for concern. Better treatment available out here.