Dominican Republic - American tourists found dead in resorts, same cause of death, 2018/2019

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Travel Advice and Advisories for Dominican Republic
"Risk level(s)
Still valid: June 10, 2019 15:20 ET

Latest updates: The Health tab was updated - travel health information (Public Health Agency of Canada)

Dominican Republic - Exercise a high degree of caution
Exercise a high degree of caution in the Dominican Republic due to a high crime rate.

Travel Health Notice - Zika virus
The Public Health Agency of Canada has issued advice for travellers on the Zika virus, recommending that Canadians practice special health precautions while travelling in affected countries. Pregnant women and those considering becoming pregnant should avoid travel to the Dominican Republic. See Health for more information."
 
Travel Advice and Advisories for Dominican Republic
"Risk level(s)
Still valid: June 10, 2019 15:20 ET

Latest updates: The Health tab was updated - travel health information (Public Health Agency of Canada)

Dominican Republic - Exercise a high degree of caution
Exercise a high degree of caution in the Dominican Republic due to a high crime rate.

Travel Health Notice - Zika virus
The Public Health Agency of Canada has issued advice for travellers on the Zika virus, recommending that Canadians practice special health precautions while travelling in affected countries. Pregnant women and those considering becoming pregnant should avoid travel to the Dominican Republic. See Health for more information."
Yay Canada! I love those people!
 
Bleach and alcohol taste completely different no matter what alcohol it is. Pretty hard to believe that one.
My understanding is that she took one sip and quickly spit it out. But even that caused chemical burns in her mouth among other issues. Not sure what to make of her claim.
 
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Another American family has been interviewed about their family member's death in DR in April.

California man died in April at Dominican Republic resort after drink from hotel room minibar, family says

According to the article linked above, Robert Bell Wallace, 67, from California, became ill April 11 after drinking a scotch from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Punta Cana's room's minibar. He complained of feeling sick and having blood in his urine and stool, per a niece who was interviewed. A resort Doctor "checked" him, then decided on April 13 he needed to be hospitalized. Wallace died the next day. No mention of autopsy in article.
Yes and the California man had blood in his urine and stool according to the article. This is similar to the internal bleeding of the couple that died although the California man was at a different resort.
 
HLN on Twitter

A local woman says she got violently ill at the same resort where three Americans died recently under mysterious circumstances. She's telling PIX11 she strongly believes she was poisoned by something she drank from the mini-bar.

"The room was beautiful the resort was beautiful," said Awilda Montes. "It was gorgeous."

Montes says what started out as a romantic anniversary trip, turned into a nightmare. She and her former boyfriend checked into the Luxury Bahia Principe Bouganville in the Dominican Republic last October. Shortly after arriving in their room, she took a bottle of 7-Up out of the mini fridge. When she drank it, the soda was flat and smelled like bleach... and this happened.

"When I took a swig of it, I kind of held it in my mouth the minute I held it, it just started burning," said Montes. "I ran to the bathroom when I spit it out there was blood, my mouth was on fire, my gums, everything was bleeding."

Montes was rushed to a hospital on the Island and showed PIX11 medical records stating she was treated for pain and vomiting. She believes spitting out the soda, and not ingesting it may have saved her life. "I didn't realize this could've been done on purpose, I just thought it was an accident someone mixed it up, but now i think it was done on purpose."

Montes believes the soda was intentionally tainted. Imagine her surprise when she heard the accounts of the recent incidents on the news, and her further shock when a friend called to tell her it was the same resort she vacationed at.
Sounds like lye poisoning. Caustic Ingestion - Injuries; Poisoning - Merck Manuals Professional Edition
 
Wasn't there a story about a year ago of some tourists who became ill in Mexico from home made alcohol that was substituted for name brand alcohol? I seem to remember this took place somewhere south of Cancun.

This definitely sounds like a poison.

By the way, early articles about the couple who died said the pills found in their room were blood pressure pills.

eta: Here is a link to an article about the problem of bootlegged alcohol in Mexico. The article says estimates are that up to 45% of alcohol sold in Mexico is home made boot legged stuff.

Historically, in the U.S. one of the reasons Prohibition was overturned was at the urging of the officials of the Public Health Departments of many major cities. That famous "bathtub gin" was killing people - a lot of people. Many who did not die ended up blind and/or chronically ill. New York City in particular had a terrible problem with deaths related to bootleg alcohol.
 
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I wonder if they use Sodium Fluoroacetate as a rodenticide/insecticide in the Dominican Republic? It’s been awhile since I worked in the toxicology lab but if I remember right it interferes with the Krebs cycle and generally shows as a heart attack. Thinking maybe the spraying crew is sneaking into the minibars and replacing the clear liquids they drink with the clear liquids they have with them.

Sodium Fluoroacetate

. With this poison rat control can be much more easily and effectively carried out than ever before; however, because of its extreme toxicity (three teaspoons of the watered solution used for rats is sufficient to cause death in the adult human being) many necessary precautions have been taken in its employment and administration

FATAL POISONING WITH SODIUM FLUOROACETATE
 
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