Brits are discovering the beauty of Cape Verde just off the African coast, but some have tragically died after visiting the islands after falling ill from a mystery outbreak
Four Brits have died in the space of just three months after visiting an up-and-coming holiday hotspot. It is believed they have all fallen ill after suffering complications from travelling to Cape Verde.
The island archipelago sits just off the western coast of Africa, but has recently rocketed in the number of tourists visiting the nation. With a relatively unspoiled landscape, warm climate and friendly people, Cape Verde is now one of Africa’s go-to destinations.
Nevertheless, for some Brits, their dream trip turned into a nightmare after they fell ill, resulting in four Britons tragically losing their lives. The exact cause has been found to be a lethal illness, but no one knows just where the condition is coming from.
According to the Sunday Times, one victim was Elena Walsh, who travelled to Cape Verde last August as part of a £5,000 TUI trip with her family. However, just after arriving, 64-year-old Elena caught a stomach bug — and within days she was dead.
Doctors on the island tried to help her, but were under the impression she had appendicitis and tried to remove the organ, which was in fact healthy. Her widowed husband Patrick said that she shouted her final words as she lay on the operating table: “You’re hurting me, you’re hurting me!”
Elena was eventually flown back to the UK after she passed away, where it was revealed that her appendix was totally healthy. Instead, she had died as a result of heart failure, with gastroenteritis listed as a secondary cause of death.
Three other Brits — 64-year-old Karen Pooley; Mark Ashley, 55; and David Smith, 54 — have also died from other health complications whilst on the island archipelago, but all still had gastroenteritis at the time of their death. To make matters even more strange, all four people had stayed at a Riu hotel, a Spanish hotel chain with luxury resorts in Cape Verde.
The families of those who died conceded they had underlying medical conditions, but insisted they were managed well before flying to Cape Verde. Now, loved ones of the families are questioning whether Cape Verde is as safe as it is made out, due to their experience of what the Foreign Office says is a “very basic and limited” healthcare system.
An investigation into the island’s healthcare history showed that whilst it may be a tropical paradise, it has issues with health, as it has twice suffered an outbreak of a mysterious illness. The most recent instance came at the end of last year, with hundreds of tourists falling ill.
The culprit was revealed last year, after European nations found a rise in cases of shigella, a bacteria that causes intense diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps. It is usually transmitted through food, water and people and is caused by contaminated poo.
On December 15, Britain’s Foreign Office warned tourists to check up on shigella before travelling to Cape Verde. Brits make up around 36% of the total number of tourists visiting the islands, based on figures from 2024.
In a statement given to the Sunday Times, a spokeswoman for Riu said: “Local authorities and business leaders identified critical areas for immediate action, including the elimination of standing water sources and the implementation of intensive pest control plans to combat the proliferation of flies and mosquitoes. Riu Hotels and Resorts will continue to work closely with the local government and health authorities to ensure the destination continues to offer the highest standards of wellbeing to all its guests.”
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