A WOMAN is taking legal action after spending two weeks fighting a parasitic illness she picked up on holiday.

Holly Chandler, from Newcastle, missed the first two weeks of a new job after falling ill with cryptosporidium – a parasitic illness causing severe diarrhoea, vomiting and headaches.

The 22-year-old was admitted to hospital for a week after returning from a week-long holiday to a beach village in Ayia Napa, Cyprus.

She started legal action against the tour operator after being told by doctors at the Royal Victoria Infirmary told her that she had most likely contracted the infection from a swimming pool at the hotel.

She said: “It has really knocked me for six. The first thing a lot of people do on holiday is head for the pool and I was no different. But a few days in I saw local cats washing and drinking from it, and birds swimming in it, so I gave it a miss.

“I did not see anyone clean or cover the pool during the time I was there. In my view, the hotel just was not up to its four-star rating.”

She went on the getaway between April 13 and 20 with her sister Brooke.

When she returned she started her new job at a pet shop but had to call in sick after just three days when she became violently ill.

Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal infection cryptosporidiosis. While this parasite can be spread in several different ways, water, both for drinking and recreation is the most common way parasites spread.

Jatinder Paul, an expert international personal injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, who is representing Holly said: “Holly continues to suffer an inflamed liver and needs further medical treatment before she can fully recover.

“Cryptosporidium can be a very distressing illness, and one that could have been so much worse for Holly had she not been young and strong enough to fight it.

“No holidaymaker should expect to fall ill from a serious illness such as cryptosporidium, but Holly and her sister expected a four star experience and got anything but. We are now investigating on their behalf.”