Irritant syndrome (Titikaveka)
 

We got the following info from our travel agent yesterday:
You may have heard or read in the media that Rarotonga has been experiencing some mysterious environmental and health problems (irritant syndrome)in the past few months. The symptoms of this irritant are mainly sore/watery eyes and nasal irritation. The intermittent occurrence of the "irritant syndrome" is confined to a narrow stretch of area in the district of Titikaveka. To date, after numerous tests of soil, marine, and
ground water by the appropriate government agencies and overseas experts, no conclusive solution or cause of the irritant has been established. At this stage no one can confirm whether there is contamination in the soil, the marine or the air in the affected area. However, more tests by the local and overseas experts are continuing until a solution is found.
The Ministry of Health confirmed the symptoms are not life threatening and are not contagious. It seems to affect some people and not others. As an extra precaution people swimming in the area are washing down immediately with fresh water as soon as they come in from the sea. For the most part our guests who stayed in the location enjoyed their
holidays and did not experience any of the symptoms, however and again it seems to affect some people and not others and as mentioned above the occurrence is intermittent.

Would appreciate comments from anyone who has any more information on this.
Thanks

If you look at the link "Transfer to Aitutaki" there is some discussion about the problem and a link to the Cook Island News website (http://www.cinews.co.ck/ - where it is a frequent topic of discussion). The problem seems to come and go. It appeared, then vanished for 6 months or so - then mysteriously re-appeared. Scientists are testing the water daily, but as you've said, the results are inconclusive.

As I mention, the Cook Island News website is the best source of info on this (note that the website is only updated weekly however).

Ken

PS: I would go anyway, and if when I arrived, the problem is still happening there, I would just avoid that small stretch of beach. It's only a 500 meter section, the rest of the island seems to be fine.

Sounds like what I get often, allergy reaction to something.

Anybody know if Whitesands Beach Villas is close to this stretch of beach? It seems there haven't been any reported cases of the syndrome for 3 months but just wondering how close we'll be as we just booked for late October before I saw this thread.

I would like to know if the affected area is anywhere close to the Takitumu Villas which I know are located near to Titikaveka. Does anyone know?