Hundreds of British holidaymakers are pursuing legal action after falling ill with gastric illnesses while staying at luxury hotels in Cape Verde.
Over the past three years, a total of 926 people have reported becoming seriously ill after visiting the West African island. Many required hospital treatment, turning their five-star vacations into "holidays from hell."
Since 2022, numerous guests staying at seven different hotels across the island have fallen ill with serious infections, including Shigella and Salmonella. Among the affected were a newlywed couple on their honeymoon, a man who lost consciousness during his return flight, and a beauty therapist whose symptoms were initially feared to indicate a stroke.
Cordelia Plummer, 56, from Birmingham, and her partner Ian Waller, 56, from Kingston-Upon-Hull, are among the latest to join the legal action. Both suffered severe gastric illnesses during their two-week stay at the Riu Cabo Verde hotel in Sal from July 12 to July 27, 2023.
Jatinder Paul, an international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, who represents the holidaymakers, expressed concern over the scale of the issue.
Paul emphasized the potential long-term health risks of such illnesses, warning that if the root causes are not addressed, the situation could lead to tragedy. "We understand that several others at the hotel fell ill at the same time as Cordelia and Ian. We’d be keen to hear from anyone else who was staying there during this period."
Cordelia, a customer service assistant, became sick midway through their holiday with severe symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea. She was confined to her room for four days and had to consult her GP upon returning to the UK, where doctors initially suspected Shigella.
Her partner Ian experienced the same symptoms a few days later, which persisted throughout the rest of their trip and continued after they returned to the UK. He is still dealing with ongoing digestive issues.
The couple said they spoke to other guests at the hotel who were suffering from similar symptoms. After returning home, they were shocked to find negative reviews online, with many people reporting experiences identical to their own.
The couple recalled that the food was often served uncovered and lukewarm, with the same dishes appearing more than once. They also observed cockroaches in the restaurant near the dessert area. "What was supposed to be a dream holiday turned into something we’ll now try our best to forget," Cordelia said. "The number of stories we’ve seen and heard is shocking. Had we known beforehand, we’d never have booked."
Cordelia and Ian are part of a new group of 10 holidaymakers who stayed at the five-star Riu Cabo Verde this summer and have now instructed Irwin Mitchell. The law firm has previously represented others who fell ill in Cape Verde, including a father from Glasgow who lost over 17 pounds and a mother who contracted Shigella on her first holiday abroad after her husband passed away.
In 2022, more than 170 holidaymakers took legal action after becoming ill at the Riu Funana Hotel, with over 20 additional cases emerging in 2023. In total, 806 people came forward in 2022, followed by 65 in 2023, and 55 so far this year.
The firm continues to represent hundreds of other holidaymakers who have experienced similar illnesses at other hotels on the island. Photo by Manuel de Sousa, Wikimedia commons.