A bout of sickness that affected doctors attending an international conference at a top hotel on the Island is reported to have caused an airliner from Bermuda to be temporarily quarantined on landing in Canada.

The cause of the illnesses to guests staying at the Fairmont Southampton Hotel is not known, although it is reported they had taken advantage of ?dining out? opportunity to eat at restaurants elsewhere in the Island shortly before many became ill.

The Health Department has already started an investigation to find the cause of the sickness and carried out checks on the hotel?s kitchens as a precaution before giving them the all-clear, according to Fairmont managing director Norman Mastalir.

Some hotel guests are reported to have been taken ill on a flight to Toronto that caused Canadian authorities to quarantine the Air Canada plane for almost an hour after it landed on Sunday afternoon.

A Southampton woman told the Royal Gazette her husband had been on the flight from Bermuda to Toronto yesterday on which a number of people had been taken ill.

?My husband said five people were taken very ill and the man sitting next to him needed intravenous medication,? said the woman, who asked not to be named.

She understood that the first people to fall ill were attending a doctors? conference at the hotel and had symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea, which had resulted in ambulances lining up outside the hotel late on Saturday evening.

According to the woman?s husband, who flew on the 1.10 p.m. Toronto service, the plane was placed under quarantine for 45 minutes after landing in Canada as health department officials checked passengers who had been taken ill.

Mr. Mastalir, of the Fairmont Southampton Hotel, said: ?We?re aware that several of our guests have been sick this weekend and we are taking this very seriously.

?We are working with the Health Department to understand what the cause of the sickness may be. We have taken immediate precautions and there has been no further sickness since 6 a.m. on Sunday.

?The health department has reviewed all operating practices in the kitchen and is satisfied with the procedures we have in place. We?ll continue to monitor the situation.?