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Four British deaths in three months: Cape Verde’s nightmare outbreak
Each tourist died after falling ill on the islands, where one hospital was likened to a war zone
Izzy Lyons|Chris Haslam
Saturday January 31 2026, 4.30pm GMT, The Sunday Times
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On August 1 last year, she flew to Cape Verde in west Africa on a £5,000 Tui package holiday with her husband Patrick, their son Sean and their future daughter-in-law Gemma.
But shortly after arriving, Walsh, 64, contracted a stomach bug. Within days, she was dead. The pain in her stomach had become so bad that she was taken to hospital, where local doctors thought she had appendicitis and attempted to remove her healthy organ. Her husband, who was waiting outside the operating theatre, heard her “crying out in pain”.
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The Walsh family are not alone in losing a loved one in Cape Verde.
A Sunday Times investigation has found that three other Britons died within three months of Walsh after falling ill in Cape Verde and receiving poor medical care in local hospitals.
Karen Pooley, 64, Mark Ashley, 55, and David Smith, 54, whose name has been changed, died of various medical complications — including gastroenteritis, fractured bones and heart failure —sustained while holidaying in the west African country. They were all staying in a Riu hotel, a Spanish chain with six resorts in Cape Verde, when they first fell ill.
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In December, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported increases in shigella from the Netherlands, Sweden, Ireland and France. The UK Health Security Agency recorded 137 cases between October and December — 80 per cent of patients had recently returned from Cape Verde.
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On December 15, the Foreign Office warned British tourists travelling to Cape Verde about shigella. In fact, it was the second outbreak on the islands.
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Families take legal action as British tourists die
3 days ago
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Four British people have died within four months after being struck down with stomach bugs while on holiday in Cape Verde, lawyers representing their families have said.
Mark Ashley, 55, of Bedfordshire, Elena Walsh, 64, from Birmingham, Karen Pooley, 64, of Gloucestershire, and a 56-year-old man all died last year after contracting gastric illnesses while on the islands off the west African coast.
They are four of six Britons who died after holidays there since January 2023, and law firm Irwin Mitchell said the six families were making personal injury claims against holiday firm Tui.
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Jatinder Paul, serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: "The number of holiday makers to Cape Verde being struck down with serious and debilitating gastric illnesses is truly staggering.
"I've never seen repeated and continued illness outbreaks at the same resorts on such a scale over such a period of time."
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Reaction to the news published by international media on February 1, 2026
02.02.2026 at 5:31 PM
Following the news published on February 1, 2026 by international media , under the title "Families of British tourists who died from infection in Cape Verde resort to the courts," and subsequently reproduced by other international media, the Ministry of Health of Cape Verde clarifies the following:
Cape Verde has a robust health and epidemiological surveillance system, recognized by international partners, with accumulated gains in the control of communicable diseases, improved sanitation, enhanced food security, and institutional strengthening. This progress positions the country among the safest in Africa in terms of health and reinforces the confidence of investors and visitors.
In light of the above, there is no publicly available epidemiological evidence to confirm an active outbreak, and the available data do not support the interpretation presented in the aforementioned news report.
The Ministry of Health of Cape Verde will continue to act with rigor, technical responsibility, institutional transparency, and legal firmness in defending its international credibility, not allowing private interests to jeopardize the Ministry of Health, the National Health Service, and the country's reputation as a safe destination and a state committed to international health standards.
https://www.governo.cv/reacao-a-noti...reiro-de-2026/
Each tourist died after falling ill on the islands, where one hospital was likened to a war zone
Izzy Lyons|Chris Haslam
Saturday January 31 2026, 4.30pm GMT, The Sunday Times
...
On August 1 last year, she flew to Cape Verde in west Africa on a £5,000 Tui package holiday with her husband Patrick, their son Sean and their future daughter-in-law Gemma.
But shortly after arriving, Walsh, 64, contracted a stomach bug. Within days, she was dead. The pain in her stomach had become so bad that she was taken to hospital, where local doctors thought she had appendicitis and attempted to remove her healthy organ. Her husband, who was waiting outside the operating theatre, heard her “crying out in pain”.
...
The Walsh family are not alone in losing a loved one in Cape Verde.
A Sunday Times investigation has found that three other Britons died within three months of Walsh after falling ill in Cape Verde and receiving poor medical care in local hospitals.
Karen Pooley, 64, Mark Ashley, 55, and David Smith, 54, whose name has been changed, died of various medical complications — including gastroenteritis, fractured bones and heart failure —sustained while holidaying in the west African country. They were all staying in a Riu hotel, a Spanish chain with six resorts in Cape Verde, when they first fell ill.
...
In December, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported increases in shigella from the Netherlands, Sweden, Ireland and France. The UK Health Security Agency recorded 137 cases between October and December — 80 per cent of patients had recently returned from Cape Verde.
...
On December 15, the Foreign Office warned British tourists travelling to Cape Verde about shigella. In fact, it was the second outbreak on the islands.
...
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Families take legal action as British tourists die
3 days ago
...
Four British people have died within four months after being struck down with stomach bugs while on holiday in Cape Verde, lawyers representing their families have said.
Mark Ashley, 55, of Bedfordshire, Elena Walsh, 64, from Birmingham, Karen Pooley, 64, of Gloucestershire, and a 56-year-old man all died last year after contracting gastric illnesses while on the islands off the west African coast.
They are four of six Britons who died after holidays there since January 2023, and law firm Irwin Mitchell said the six families were making personal injury claims against holiday firm Tui.
...
Jatinder Paul, serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: "The number of holiday makers to Cape Verde being struck down with serious and debilitating gastric illnesses is truly staggering.
"I've never seen repeated and continued illness outbreaks at the same resorts on such a scale over such a period of time."
...
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Reaction to the news published by international media on February 1, 2026
02.02.2026 at 5:31 PM
Following the news published on February 1, 2026 by international media , under the title "Families of British tourists who died from infection in Cape Verde resort to the courts," and subsequently reproduced by other international media, the Ministry of Health of Cape Verde clarifies the following:
- The approach adopted is serious, disproportionate, and likely to induce unjustified alarmist perceptions about the National Health Service and about Cape Verde, a country widely recognized for its stability, security, and consistent progress in key public health indicators.
- From an epidemiological point of view, official data from the competent authorities in the United Kingdom indicate that gastrointestinal infectious diseases, including those associated with Shigella , are not among the relevant causes of mortality. It is a rare event, with low lethality, and deaths are predominantly concentrated in individuals with clinical vulnerability ( UK Health Security Agency (UBHSA, 2024 ).
- British surveillance reports do not identify Cape Verde as a relevant source of recent imported cases. From a technical point of view, the mere temporal coincidence between travel and illness does not constitute proof of causality. Determining a causal link requires laboratory confirmation, structured environmental investigation, and comparative epidemiological analysis—elements that do not arise from media allegations or ongoing legal proceedings.
- Cape Verde has consolidated a robust tourism recovery in the post-pandemic period, exceeding one million annual visitors and registering millions of overnight stays. The British market is one of the main sources of tourists, with a significant presence on the island of Sal. Considering this context, the episodes described represent, in statistical terms, a residual occurrence, not evidencing any sustained epidemiological pattern nor any alteration in the national health profile.
- These are legal proceedings directed at private entities.
- The Ministry of Health does not accept that individual allegations, presented in foreign forums, be generalized or used to undermine the national health system and the country's good image. Private interests cannot override scientific evidence or compromise the reputation of a nation built over decades.
Cape Verde has a robust health and epidemiological surveillance system, recognized by international partners, with accumulated gains in the control of communicable diseases, improved sanitation, enhanced food security, and institutional strengthening. This progress positions the country among the safest in Africa in terms of health and reinforces the confidence of investors and visitors.
In light of the above, there is no publicly available epidemiological evidence to confirm an active outbreak, and the available data do not support the interpretation presented in the aforementioned news report.
The Ministry of Health of Cape Verde will continue to act with rigor, technical responsibility, institutional transparency, and legal firmness in defending its international credibility, not allowing private interests to jeopardize the Ministry of Health, the National Health Service, and the country's reputation as a safe destination and a state committed to international health standards.
https://www.governo.cv/reacao-a-noti...reiro-de-2026/