American Tourists In The Dominican Republic Are Suffering From Stomach Illnesses

There have been 10 reported deaths since April.

Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana

The Dominican Republic saga continues. According to CNN, 10 U.S. tourists have died under the same bizarre circumstances and a dozen more have reported a violent stomach illness. Though the FBI has launched an investigation, the situation largely remains a mystery.


For some, the answer could be as simple as food poisoning, but for many others the symptoms seem to point to actual poisoning. Two victims, Kaylynn Knull and Tom Schwander said there was an intense chemical smell in their room shortly before falling ill. Per CNN, the pair experienced nausea, uncontrollable drooling and sweating, teary eyes, diarrhea, and painful stomach cramps. After arriving back in the U.S., doctors pointed the finger at a compound found in insecticide.

They're not the only ones to make it out, barely, but alive. A New York woman had a soda from her Grand Bahia Principe Resort hotel minibar before spewing blood and losing her taste buds. A group of Oklahoma high schoolers fell "violently ill" at the Hard Rock. CBS News reports the symptoms are largely consistent: vomiting, diarrhea, chills, and fever.

Now the FBI is demanding toxicology reports on at least three of the deaths, and they're analyzing the minibar liquor that so many are blaming. Though officials for the Dominican Republic's foreign ministry are calling the country "safe" and the deaths "isolated," Americans continue to die.

The DR is ducking accountability, but this surge in tourist deaths hardly seems like a coincidence.

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