Nearly 1,000 British tourists fall ill after luxury holidays to Cape Verde

Holidaymakers at five-star hotels were struck down with shigella and salmonella

Riu Cabo Verde, Riu Funana Hotel and Riu Palace Santa Maria have all had reported outbreaks of gastric illness (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Almost a thousand British holidaymakers have been struck down by gastric illnesses after staying at luxury hotels in Cape Verde over the last three years.

According to representatives from law firm Irwin Mitchell, 926 tourists from the UK are pursuing legal action after being bedridden with serious illnesses linked to luxury holidays on the West African island.

British couple Cordelia Plummer and Ian Waller, both 56, were taken ill with “severe gastric symptoms”, including vomiting and diarrhoea, during a two-week stay at the five-star Riu Cabo Verde this July.

On her return to the UK after the £3,000 all-inclusive break, a GP told Cordelia the symptoms could be shigella – an infection that affects the intestine.

Cordelia said: “What was meant to be a dream two weeks on a wonderful island turned into a holiday Ian and myself will now do our best to forget.

“What started as headaches and a feeling of nausea became the worst sickness and diarrhoea I’ve ever known. I think everyone has probably had an upset stomach at one time or another, but this was something much worse. I was in the room for several days and have never felt so ill.”

Customer service worker Cordelia added that the pair from Birmingham and Hull had “concerns” about the food presentation, with lunch dishes seemingly reappearing at dinner and cockroaches spotted near the kitchen.

The couple are among ten holidaymakers who have contacted lawyers after staying at the hotel this summer.

In the summer of 2022, almost 100 tourists fell ill with shigella and salmonella following their holidays at Riu Cabo Verde, says Irwin Mitchell.

At the Riu Funana Hotel in Santa Maria, Cape Verde, 20 people came forward to make claims in 2023, while over 170 holidaymakers told lawyers they fell ill in 2022 after staying at the same hotel.

Elsewhere on Sal island, more than 300 guests of the Riu Palace Santa Maria contacted the firm following an outbreak of gastric illness two years ago.

Jatinder Paul, an international injury solicitor representing the holidaymakers, said that the “sheer volume of clients” that have come forward with illnesses following stays in Cape Verde over the last three years is “incredibly concerning”.

“The numbers involved show that these aren’t isolated incidents. The fact that significant numbers are still approaching us with similar first-hand accounts points towards a worrying picture of ongoing illness that shows no sign of ending,” he said.

Paul added: “Those we represent rightly have a number of concerns over how such illnesses have occurred over such a period of time. Gastric illness can result in long-term health problems or even death, and the fear is this could end in tragedy if something isn’t done to address the underlying causes.

“We understand that several other people at the hotel fell ill at the same time as Cordelia and Ian did. As part of our investigations, we’d be keen to hear from anyone else who was staying at this hotel at the same time.”

A spokesperson for Riu Hotels & Resorts said: “For RIU Hotels & Resorts the health and safety of our guests is our main priority and this is why we strictly fulfil all the regulations regarding this matter in all our destinations and hotels.

“Our hotels in Cape Verde (six properties with 4,650 rooms in total) average over an 80 per cent occupancy rate. Our Medical Services permanently run internal analysis and, whenever there’s a concern, they activate all the pertinent protocols.

“Nevertheless no significant number of cases of guests that have felt unwell have been detected. Furthermore, exhaustive controls are conducted periodically by an external consultancy.

“We are committed to fostering strong collaboration with Cape Verdian authorities to ensure the highest standards of compliance and our guests’ safety.”

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