Health Warning Over Cape Verde Travel After Stomach Bug Deaths

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned group complete recreation to Cape Verde aft dozens of Britons fell sick pinch tummy bugs while there.

Since 1 October, nan agency has identified 118 cases of shigella and 43 of salmonella linked to trips to nan West African archipelago.

While astir group retrieve wrong a week, 4 British group person died wrong months of contracting tummy bugs while connected vacation there.

The informing comes up of nan February half term, erstwhile a greater number of British holidaymakers are expected to recreation to nan celebrated wintertime destination.

Shigella and salmonella are some bacterial infections that impact nan gut and tin origin symptoms including diarrhoea, fever and tummy cramps.

Though galore who are infected make a afloat recovery, young children, aged people, pregnant women and group pinch existing conditions aliases a weakened immune strategy tin acquisition terrible symptoms and suffer perchance life-threatening complications.

The 2 germs are dispersed done interaction pinch contaminated faeces, either straight done person-to-person transmission aliases indirectly from unclean food, h2o aliases surfaces.

People travelling to Cape Verde are advised to:

"Taking a fewer elemental precautions against traveller's diarrhoea and nutrient poisoning tin make each nan difference," Dr Gauri Godbole, nan UKHSA's lawman head for gastrointestinal infections and nutrient safety, said.

"The champion measurement to debar gastrointestinal infections, including shigella and salmonella, aliases passing them to others, is simply by washing your hands regularly and thoroughly pinch soap and h2o aliases intoxicant gel – peculiarly aft utilizing nan toilet, changing nappies, and earlier eating aliases preparing food."

The UKHSA said nan mostly of shigella cases were among group who had been to nan Santa Maria and Boa Vista areas of Cape Verde.

Santa Maria is simply a edifice municipality connected Sal Island, while Boa Vista is nan cape's astir easterly island. The archipelago typically sees temperatures of astir 25C successful February.

Dr Damien Tully, an subordinate professor astatine nan London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, previously told nan BBC that outbreaks of shigella were "not unusual, peculiarly successful engaged hospitality settings wherever ample numbers of group are eating and sharing facilities".

He said buffet-style catering tin summation nan consequence and beryllium a "breeding ground" for germs and viruses.

Mark Ashley, 55, of Bedfordshire, Elena Walsh, 64, from Birmingham, Karen Pooley, 64, of Gloucestershire, and a 56-year-old man from Watford all died past year aft contracting tummy bugs while successful Cape Verde.

They are 4 of six Britons who died aft holidaying location since January 2023, each of whose families are now making individual wounded claims against package vacation patient Tui.

Ashley's woman Emma said she had raised concerns complete nan hygiene standards astatine nan edifice she and her hubby had stayed astatine connected Sal.

Meanwhile, Walsh's boy Sean expressed concerns astir nan hygiene standards astatine nan edifice wherever they had stayed.

Tui has said it was investigating nan claims, but declined to remark further while ineligible proceedings were active.

Cape Verde was struck by Hurricane Erin past August, damaging h2o and sanitation infrastructure. In its wake, nan World Health Organization assessed location was a greater consequence of illness from contaminated h2o and bearer insects.