About 7-10 days after return from our Nai'a dive adventure several people came down with a fairly severe gastrointestinal disturbance characterized by intense nausea, abdominal bloating, loose stools, weakness, and lower abdominal cramps. Some of those affected tested positive for Giardia, an intestinal protozoan parasite. They were treated with metronidazole, and after several days of therapy were about 80-90% improved.It is suspected that they contracted the Giardia from contaminated water used to prepare the kava during the island village visit.
I was the only person who did not attend the village visit. As of now, I don't have symptoms, but will be tested as soon as I get home on Monday. The management at the Nai'a has been contacted, but I haven't received any communication from them since all this has transpired. There was a second Kava ceremony at the end of the cruise, ON the boat. I don't know how or where this Kava was prepared. I drank one round that evening.
If I test positive, I'll update this.
