More than 800 British holidaymakers are pursuing legal action against the travel company TUI following reports of severe illnesses experienced during stays at luxury resorts in Cape Verde. The legal proceedings, initiated in the High Court, involve 836 individuals who claim to have contracted serious illnesses, including E.coli, salmonella, and shigella, between 2022 and 2025. Disturbingly, patients affected include children as young as six months.

The reported illnesses occurred at eight different four- and five-star resorts across the African nation, where numerous guests were left hospitalised due to debilitating symptoms. Many of the holidaymakers have continued to experience ongoing health issues even years after returning home.

Among the complainants is Nicky Morley, 54, from Paignton, Devon, who recounted her experience following a stay at the Riu Palace Santa Maria resort from May 10 to May 25, 2022. Morley claims she was served raw pork at a poolside barbecue just a day into her more than £2,000 holiday. After that meal, she suffered severe symptoms, leading to hospitalisation in Cape Verde, where she received intravenous fluids and medication.

Following her discharge, Morley attempted to return to normalcy by consuming a plain diet, only to find herself again served undercooked food. Nearly three years later, she states she has lost over four stone and continues to grapple with ongoing gastrointestinal issues, making socialising difficult. “It’s just not something you expect to pick up in a five-star hotel… the hygiene at the resort was also pretty questionable,” Morley remarked, expressing her concerns over food safety practices observed during her stay.

Another participant in the legal action, Kelly Barrett from Carmarthenshire, Wales, reported that two of her children fell ill while staying at the Hotel Riu Funana in Sal during a £5,000 two-week holiday in late 2022. The siblings, now four and three years old, experienced severe gastric symptoms, resulting in hospitalisation and a subsequent airlift to Tenerife for further medical treatment. Barrett highlighted unsanitary conditions, including ants in the buffet area and insufficient monitoring of the swimming pool. “Seeing the children so poorly was absolutely awful… the holiday went from what we hoped would be a dream trip to a disaster,” she said.

As outlined by Jatinder Paul, a specialist international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell advocating for the affected guests, investigations have prompted the filing of several hundred cases against TUI. He noted, “The number of people to have fallen seriously ill in Cape Verde over the past three years is truly staggering… the effects of gastric illness can be very serious and should never be downplayed.” Many of the clients reportedly continue to suffer from long-term symptoms, affecting their quality of life.

In total, TUI has faced claims from 1,400 individuals linked to illnesses from Cape Verde, with the ongoing legal actions targeting various resorts including Riu Palace Boavista, Riu Palace Santa Maria, Riu Funana, and others. The law firm has said TUI has either denied liability or failed to respond adequately to the claims. Despite the ongoing legal challenges, TUI has not provided a comment to the media regarding the situation.

Source: Noah Wire Services