(Picture: Irwin Mitchell / SWNS)
At least six British tourists have died after contracting a killer stomach bug in Cape Verde.
An outbreak of a highly contagious bacterial infection called shigella has hit thousands of tourists in the West African island.
Hospitals flooded with patients have been described as a ‘war zone’, with four British holidaymakers in Cape Verde resorts dying in the last three months.
More than 1,500 UK tourists have instructed specialist lawyers to take legal action after becoming sick on trips booked through tour operator TUI.
Among them are the families of six people who died following all-inclusive breaks on the island.
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Dad of two Mark Ashley, 55, developed severe stomach pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and fever just three days into his two-week stay with wife Emma in October.
The self-employed forklift truck driver from Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire, then collapsed a few weeks after returning from the five-star RIU Palace Santa Maria resort in Sal.
He was rushed to hospital but was tragically pronounced dead on arrival.
Emma said the family were in ‘complete shock’ and are demanding answers about how the £3,000 holiday went so wrong.
She said: ‘We went to Cape Verde expecting a relaxing break, but Mark became violently ill and never recovered. The last couple of months have been unbearable, and our family will never be the same again.’
The mum said food at the hotel was often ‘lukewarm’ and ‘sanitation seemed poor’.
She also claimed that drinking water was stored outside in the sun.
Emma said she notified TUI of Mark’s illness on the company’s app, but they have not received any meaningful help.
Investigations into his death are still ongoing and it has been reported to the coroner.
Another British holidaymaker who died during a stay in Cape Verde was Karen Pooley.
The mum-of-two became sick while staying at RIU Funana resort of Sal with a friend in October.
The 54-year-old also broke her leg slipping on water in the hotel and was transferred to a local clinic.
Her condition deteriorated and died five days after being airlifted to an intensive care unit in Tenerife.
Her cause of death was given as multi-organ failure, sepsis, cardiac arrest and a broken left leg.
Karen’s husband Andy, 62, said their family were ‘utterly heartbroken’ by her death.
He added: ‘We’re devastated and struggling to understand how she went on holiday and never came home.’
Andy also slammed the medical care she received and criticised TUI for ‘poor’ communication.
Elena Walsh, 64, and an anonymous 54-year-old British man also died in Cape Verde in the last three months.
(Picture: Irwin Mitchell/PA Wire)
All four had underlying but manageable health conditions and were in one of the six hotels run by the Spanish chain RIU.
What is shigella?
Shigella is caused by contaminated faeces and is tramitted from food, water or person-to-person.
It is common in young children and usually clears up in a few days.
However the bowel infection can be serious for people with underlying medical conditions.
The UK Health Security Agency recorded 137 cases of shigella between October and December, with a staggering 80 per cent of cases being patients who recently returned from Cape Verde.
The outbreak has led the Foreign Office to warn tourists about the risks of travelling to the holiday hotspot.
It is not the first time shigella struck the island, with an outbreak being recorded in 2022.
A lawyer representing the families of the victims, Jatinder Paul of Irwin Mitchell, said the number of tourists contracting the bowel infection was ‘truly staggering’.
He said: ‘Each case isn’t a statistic; it’s a human story of how lives have been turned upside down.’
RIU Hotels & Resorts told The Sunday Times: ‘Local authorities and business leaders identified critical areas for immediate action, including the elimination of standing water sources and the implementation of intensive pest control plans to combat the proliferation of flies and mosquitoes.
‘Riu Hotels and Resorts will continue to work closely with the local government and health authorities to ensure the destination continues to offer the highest standards of wellbeing to all its guests.’
A spokeswoman for TUI told the newspaper: ‘While we cannot comment on individual cases, customer safety remains at the heart of our operations. With industry-leading standards and robust measures in place, we are committed to ensuring customers are protected wherever they are.
‘Tui follows FCDO advice for all destinations and, through our global health and safety management programme, conducts investigations in co-operation with hotel partners and relevant authorities.’
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