Cape Verde officials defend health record after illness claims
Public health officials in Cape Verde have responded to new allegations of Shigella infections in people who have been to the country.
The law firm Irwin Mitchell represents the relatives of six people who fell ill and died since January 2023 after a trip to Cape Verde.
Cape Verde’s health ministry said the allegations are “serious, disproportionate and likely to cause undue concern” about the country’s health services.
The agency said temporal coincidence between travel and illness does not constitute proof of causation. Determining causation requires laboratory confirmation, environmental investigation, and epidemiological analysis.
Cape Verde defends its conditions
Cape Verde is one of the main destinations for British tourists, so the episodes represent a small event rather than a sustained epidemiological pattern, according to Cape Verdean authorities.
Cape Verde claims to have a robust health and epidemiological surveillance system, recognized by international partners, with improvements made in the control of communicable diseases, sanitation and food safety.
The charges concern a private hotel chain that the Health Ministry says is required to comply with national regulations. The agency said its monitoring shows there is no publicly available epidemiological evidence confirming an active outbreak.
UK law firm’s clients want answers
Irwin Mitchell represents more than 1,500 Britons who have fallen ill after traveling to Cape Verde since 2022. They booked through tour operator TUI.
“The number of holidaymakers in Cape Verde struck by serious and debilitating stomach illnesses is truly staggering,” said Jatinder Paul, a lawyer at Irwin Mitchell.
“In my experience, I am used to supporting holidaymakers who have fallen ill in resorts around the world, but I have never seen repeated and continuous outbreaks of illness at the same resorts, on such a scale and over such a period of time. It is almost incomprehensible that holidaymakers continue to describe hygiene problems in these Cape Verde hotels, year after year.”
Shigella and Salmonella in the UK and Europe
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said 158 patients with Shigella Sonnei have been identified since October 2025. Of these, 118 reported international travel and 112 traveled to Cape Verde. England has the most cases with 131, while Scotland has 13 and Wales 14. Patients range in age from under 1 to 81, with a median of 54 and 110 are women.
The UKHSA also noted an increase in three types of salmonella associated with travel to Cape Verde. Salmonella Virchow has sickened four people in England. The patients range in age from 21 to 59 and are all women. Three of them had gone to Cape Verde before falling ill.
One Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak has 32 cases while another has seven. In the largest outbreak, 27 sick people traveled to Cape Verde and in the second, two people traveled to the country. For other cases, travel information is not known.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said national reports show affected travelers stayed in 5-star all-inclusive hotels in Santa Maria, Sal or Boa Vista islands. Illnesses have been recorded in Sweden, France and the Netherlands. Infections are primarily caused by a specific strain of Shigella Sonnei, suggesting a common source or persistent transmission route.
Dr Damien Tully, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said Shigella is spread through contact with faecal contamination, either directly from person to person or indirectly through contaminated food, water or surfaces. Microscopic amounts of fecal matter are enough to cause infection.
“Buffet-style dining can increase the risk of foodborne illness and provide a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. The main risk factors are time, temperature and touch. If food is left in the danger zone of 5 to 60 degrees C (41 to 140 degrees F) too long, bacteria can multiply rapidly. Improper temperature control, in which hot foods are not kept hot enough and cold foods not cold enough, create conditions conducive to the growth of bacteria,” he said.
“Poor hand hygiene and food handling can also contaminate surfaces, especially shared serving utensils. To reduce the risk of getting sick while traveling, good hygiene practices are essential. Hands should be washed thoroughly with soap and warm water, especially after using the toilet and before eating.”
