British graduate, 23, hospitalised in Fiji after being infected with a parasite swimming in waterfall in Fiji during volunteering trip

Daily Mail​

20-05-2025

A British graduate was left seriously ill and hospitalised with a parasitic infection after taking a dip in a picturesque Fijian waterfall during a once-in-a-lifetime volunteering trip.
Isabelle Lythgow, 23, had travelled to the remote village of Nairukuruku in Fiji as part of a six-week placement – but her tropical adventure soon turned into a nightmare when she fell violently ill just hours after swimming with locals.
The Salford University graduate, who now works as a mental health nurse, said she began experiencing dizziness, lower back pain and tingling limbs after attending a village bonfire that evening.
Isabelle – who suffers from a severe phobia of vomiting – was then sick every 30 minutes throughout the night, with the symptoms lasting for over 12 hours.
When she finally made it to hospital by taxi, medics immediately hooked her up to an IV drip and told her she should have come in much earlier.
Doctors later confirmed she had most likely picked up a waterborne parasite – a common infection among tourists and volunteers in the area.
Despite the 'traumatic' ordeal in August 2023 and struggling for months to regain the weight she lost, Isabelle says it hasn't put her off travelling to unusual destinations.
Isabelle, from Bury, Greater Manchester, said: 'I'm absolutely terrified of being sick, I have emetophobia. It was my biggest fear before going.
'I warned everyone that if it happens, it won't be an easy thing for me, it will be traumatic. That night we went to a bonfire and I felt a little bit off but I didn't think much of it.
'I went to bed, woke up in the middle of the night feeling really sick and then from then on it was every 30 minutes.
'If I wasn't lying flat on my back it would be longer but if I was standing up it was on the dot, every 30 minutes for maybe 12 hours.
'I couldn't even keep water down, I had to take the tiniest sips of water.
'It was really bad, we were in the middle of nowhere so it's quite difficult to get a taxi to the hospital. I was really dizzy I would get really tingly limbs
'I ended up getting a taxi and had to stop the car twice to be sick. I got to the hospital and I got seen straight away and was put on an IV.
'The doctor asked me why I didn't come sooner but I wanted to enjoy my trip.. The doctor said they see this quite a lot with people from other countries and volunteers.
'I was panicking because it was really traumatic. I purposely avoided the water, I used a water bottle and brushed my teeth with bottled water so I was really careful.'
When she finally made it to hospital by taxi, medics immediately hooked her up to an IV drip and told her she should have come in much earlier
Isabelle said she was discharged after four hours of IV and was told to only drink bottled water.
The volunteer said her stomach had shrunk and it took a while for her to gain back the weight and muscle she had lost, while she was 'anxious' for the remaining days of her trip.
Despite being hospitalised, Isabelle said she would do it all over again and advises other travellers to not be scared to try new experiences.
Isabelle said: 'My stomach had shrunk and it took a long time for me to get my muscles back, I lost so much weight.
'I was really panicked and anxious for the next couple of days but I got through it anyway.
'I'm not scared, I absolutely love waterfalls, I don't think it will ever stop me from having these experiences.
'But you genuinely can't put a price on life experiences and travel. I would never say don't do something out of fear of getting poorly, you can get poorly anytime.
'Life is too short and if you're worrying about that you would never experience new things. I would do it over again a million times.'