British Tourists Describe 'Hell on Earth' After Contracting Cape Verde Sickness Bug
Several British tourists have come forward to share harrowing accounts of falling severely ill with a highly contagious bacterial infection while on holiday in Cape Verde. The outbreak of shigella, a serious gastrointestinal illness, has affected thousands of visitors to the West African islands, with at least six UK nationals reported to have died.
Personal Injury Claims Mount as Illness Spreads
More than 1,700 British tourists are now being represented by personal injury law firm Irwin Mitchell after becoming sick during their trips to Cape Verde. The firm continues to receive new reports from travellers who have been struck down by serious illnesses following their visits to the popular holiday destination.
Holidaymakers' Terrifying Ordeals
Four holidaymakers who travelled with TUI and stayed at hotels operated by Spanish chain RIU have detailed their frightening experiences to Metro. Their stories paint a concerning picture of inadequate medical care and insufficient warnings about health risks.
Helen Wardle's Experience
Helen Wardle, 55, from Plymouth, began feeling unwell on the third day of her holiday on the island of Sal last October. She became violently sick and was confined to her room at RIU Cabo Verde for days, relying on diarrhoea tablets from a nearby clinic. On her final day before flying home, she felt so terrible that she was admitted to Clinitur clinic and put on a drip.
"I felt terrible. I was freezing. I was totally out of it. I did not have a clue," Helen told Metro. Her journey home proved to be "hell on earth" - a six-hour flight followed by continued health decline back in the UK.
"By the fourth day of being home, I was in a hell of a state," she said. "I was talking gibberish." Medical tests confirmed she had contracted shigella, along with giardia, another tummy bug that causes diarrhoea and abdominal pain.
What is Shigella?
Shigella is a bacterial infection caused by contaminated faeces, transmitted through food, water, or person-to-person contact. While common in young children and usually clearing within days, the bowel infection can become serious for people with underlying medical conditions.
Helen claims she was dismissed by the TUI representative at her hotel and that a subsequent complaint to the travel company only received an acknowledgement email without follow-up. Despite returning home on October 14, it took until December for her to feel normal again.
"It is such a scary experience being ill in a foreign country and not knowing what is wrong with you," Helen added. "TUI are just putting their head in the sands."
Further Cases Emerge
Rebecca Ryman's Story
Rebecca Ryman was celebrating her 30th birthday with her partner at RIU Touareg hotel on Boa Vista when she became "aggressively sick" on the penultimate day of her TUI holiday. The communications manager initially assumed her symptoms resulted from heat or alcohol, but they persisted relentlessly.
"It was savage. I had really bad stomach pains and was being sick," she recalled. After managing to fly home, she endured several days of non-stop vomiting before admitting herself to hospital in Colchester, Essex. Doctors kept her in isolation for a week, administering daily antibiotic drips and diagnosing bacterial gastroenteritis caused by an unidentified foreign parasite.
Rebecca, who has also taken her case to Irwin Mitchell, expressed frustration at not being warned about Cape Verde's health risks. "When you go on holiday, of course you do some basic research," she said. "But you should not have to have a doctorate to make an informed decision about where to go on holiday. It is terrifying."
Tina and Ian Gough's Experience
Tina and Ian Gough, regular TUI travellers aged 54 and 57 respectively, fell ill at Riu Karamboa on Boa Vista. The couple from Carmarthenshire claimed there were "flies all over the food" in their hotel before Tina became violently ill a week into their stay.
Tina, who uses a wheelchair, described the ordeal: "I could not keep anything down. You are sitting on the toilet with a bucket in your hands because you did not know what was going to happen first." As she began recovering, Ian fell ill next, losing nearly a stone in weight due to stomach upset.
The couple claimed "nobody cared" about their sickness and that the TUI representative was "dismissive" of their hygiene concerns. Although they spent £1,700 each on their trip and suffered stomach problems for weeks afterwards, they never visited a hospital or clinic and accept they lack proof of what caused their illness.
Official Response and Statistics
The UK Health Security Agency recorded 137 cases of shigella between October and December, with a staggering 80% of patients having recently returned from Cape Verde. This outbreak has prompted the Foreign Office to issue warnings about travel risks to the holiday hotspot.
Jatinder Paul of Irwin Mitchell commented: "The first-hand accounts of their symptoms and how they say their holidays have been ruined are all too familiar and worrying. The effects of gastric illness should never be downplayed as symptoms can lead to life-long and debilitating complications and even death."
Company Responses
TUI has not responded to Metro's request for comment on the specific cases mentioned. However, responding to an earlier Sunday Times investigation, a TUI spokeswoman stated: "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."
RIU Hotels & Resorts responded to Metro's enquiries by emphasising their commitment to guest safety: "At RIU Hotels & Resorts, the health and safety of our guests is always our main priority. Our hotels in Cape Verde follow the strictest international health and hygiene standards, certified by external prestigious consultancy firms, specialized in health and safety."
Clinitur clinic addressed Helen Wardle's claims by stating: "Clinitur Lda's facilities scrupulously comply with all national health sector standards, guidelines and procedures, and Clinitur Lda priorities and ensures the healthiness of its facilities, as well as their correct sanitation." The clinic added that professional confidentiality prevented them from commenting on individual patient cases.
This is not the first time shigella has struck Cape Verde, with a previous outbreak recorded in 2022. As more British tourists come forward with their stories, concerns continue to grow about health and safety standards at popular holiday destinations.
