More than 1,700 British holidaymakers have joined a legal action against Tui over severe gastric illnesses and at least eight deaths linked to all-inclusive resorts in Cape Verde since 2022. The claims, led by law firm Irwin Mitchell, cover infections including shigella, salmonella, E. coli, and cryptosporidium contracted at hotels on the islands of Sal and Boa Vista. The first group of around 300 claimants is scheduled for a six-week High Court trial in late 2027, and new claimants are still being accepted.
What Claimants Say Happened
The people bringing claims describe falling ill during or shortly after package holidays booked through Tui, mostly at resorts in the Santa Maria area of Sal. Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, and fevers, and many claimants report lasting health problems months or years after returning home.
Ten hotels have been named at the center of the claims. Six are operated by the Spanish chain Riu: Riu Palace Santa Maria, Riu Cabo Verde, Riu Funana, Riu Palace Boavista, Riu Touareg, and Riu Karamboa. Two are Tui-branded, Tui Blue Cabo Verde and Tui Suneo Dunas. Two are Melia-branded, Melia Dunas and Melia Llana.1Irwin Mitchell. Lawyers Reveal Cape Verde Hotels at Centre of Holiday Illness Outbreak
Claimants have described undercooked and lukewarm buffet food, flies and stray animals around dining areas, dirty cutlery, mould in rooms, and improperly stored drinking water. Complaints about the Melia Dunas include cockroaches in rooms and food left out for hours without cooling.2Holiday Claims Bureau. Food Poisoning Outbreak Leaves Guests Fleeing Melia Dunas Beach Resort
The Deaths Linked to the Outbreak
Irwin Mitchell says at least eight British nationals have died following illness contracted on Cape Verde holidays since January 2023. Four have been publicly identified:
- Jane Pressley, 62, from Gainsborough, fell ill in November 2022 at the Riu Palace Hotel in Santa Maria and died in January 2023.
- Eleana Walsh, 64, a part-time nurse from Birmingham, died in August 2025 after falling ill at the Riu Cabo Verde on Sal.3Irwin Mitchell. Lawyers Investigate Four Further Deaths Illness in Cape Verde
- Mark Ashley, 55, a forklift truck driver from Bedfordshire, fell ill three days into an October 2025 stay at the Riu Palace Santa Maria, returned to the UK, collapsed at home, and died on November 12, 2025. His death has been referred to a coroner.4BBC News. Cape Verde Holiday Deaths
- Karen Pooley, 64, a retired benefits advisor from Lydney, fell ill on October 11, 2025, at the Riu Funana, broke her leg after a fall while sick, was airlifted to Tenerife, and died on October 17. Cape Verdean authorities listed her cause of death as multi-organ failure, sepsis, and cardio-respiratory arrest.5BBC News. Cape Verde Tui Illness Legal Action
Four further deaths have been reported but not all victims publicly named. They include a man in his 60s from Watford who died in November 2024 after staying at the Riu Karamboa, a 71-year-old woman from Berkshire who suffered a fatal heart attack on a return flight in 2024, and a 56-year-old man who died in November 2025 after falling ill at the Riu Karamboa.3Irwin Mitchell. Lawyers Investigate Four Further Deaths Illness in Cape Verde
What Health Investigators Have Found
The illnesses are not confined to British tourists. Between September 2022 and March 2026, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control recorded 766 confirmed and possible cases of shigellosis in travelers returning from Cape Verde to 13 EU countries, the UK, and the United States, with a further 300-plus cases of salmonella, campylobacteriosis, and cryptosporidiosis in the same period. Most affected travelers had stayed at the same all-inclusive hotel chain in Santa Maria on Sal. The ECDC said the evidence “strongly suggests a food- and/or waterborne transmission,” although the definitive source had not been identified as of March 2026.6European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Epidemiological Update: Shigellosis and Other Gastrointestinal Infections in Travellers
The UK Health Security Agency had identified 164 confirmed shigella cases linked to Cape Verde since October 2025, with no new shigella cases recorded after February 19, 2026. It was also monitoring three separate salmonella clusters, the largest involving 84 cases of Salmonella Enteritidis.7Food Safety News. UK Updates Number of Infections Linked to Travel to Cape Verde The Foreign Office updated its Cape Verde travel advice in December 2025 to reflect the UKHSA investigation.8The Times. Is It Safe to Visit Cape Verde Right Now
Testing has confirmed shigella at some hotels and in water used for irrigating fresh produce.7Food Safety News. UK Updates Number of Infections Linked to Travel to Cape Verde Cape Verde’s Ministry of Health has called the allegations “serious, disproportionate, and likely to cause unjustified alarm,” saying a temporal link between travel and illness does not prove causation, and that its surveillance shows “no publicly available epidemiological evidence confirming an active outbreak.”9Food Safety News. Cape Verde Officials Defend Health Record After Illness Claims A full Cape Verdean report on the outbreak’s cause was still pending in mid-2026.
Why Tui Can Be Sued for a Hotel’s Failings
The claims are brought under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. Those regulations make a tour operator liable for the proper performance of all travel services included in a package, even where the services are delivered by third parties such as hotels.10GOV.UK. Package Travel Regulations 2018 Guidance If food or accommodation falls short and a traveler is harmed, the operator carries responsibility regardless of who runs the hotel.11Legislation.gov.uk. The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018
A 2023 Supreme Court decision, TUI UK Ltd v Griffiths, also matters for these cases. The court ruled that a judge cannot simply reject uncontested expert evidence from a claimant’s expert. Where a tour operator chooses not to cross-examine that expert or produce its own competing evidence, the court must generally accept what the expert says.12UK Supreme Court. TUI UK Ltd v Griffiths Linking hotel conditions to specific illnesses is central to each Cape Verde claim, so the ruling is likely to shape how the trial runs.
Where the Case Stands
Irwin Mitchell began taking on claimants in 2023 and had 350 on its books by June that year. By March 2025 it had served High Court proceedings for 836 people.13Irwin Mitchell. More Than 800 UK Holidaymakers Launch High Court Legal Action After Illness Linked to Cape Verde By April 2026 the group had grown past 1,700, with new inquiries still coming in from people who fell ill as recently as late March 2026.5BBC News. Cape Verde Tui Illness Legal Action
The first group to reach a formal court stage is roughly 300 claimants who fell ill at the Riu Palace Santa Maria during the summer of 2022. Tui has denied liability for those claims.3Irwin Mitchell. Lawyers Investigate Four Further Deaths Illness in Cape Verde At a February 2026 case management hearing, Judge Master Mark Gidden ordered a six-week High Court trial to take place at the end of 2027.14Travel Tomorrow. Over 1,700 Brits Join Class Action Against Tui Over Cape Verde Illness Outbreak Further group actions are expected to be listed in the coming months.15The Week. Cape Verde Tourist Deaths Lawsuit
What Tui and Riu Have Said
Tui has said it is “deeply saddened” by the reported deaths and that “customer health and safety are always our highest priority,” pointing to “established procedures in place to support any customer who becomes unwell while on holiday, including access to appropriate medical care and assistance in resort.”16The Independent. Cape Verde Illness Tui Lawsuit The company says it is investigating but has declined to comment on individual cases, citing data protection and active proceedings. It has also said it does not yet have access to a full unpublished Cape Verde health report, and has urged travelers to report illness to resort teams during the stay, warning that failure to do so “limits the assistance we are able to offer at the time.”5BBC News. Cape Verde Tui Illness Legal Action
Riu Hotels, which runs six of the resorts named, issued a joint statement with Tui describing itself as “deeply saddened” and offering “heartfelt condolences to the families affected.” Neither company has publicly detailed specific remedial steps at the properties involved.15The Week. Cape Verde Tourist Deaths Lawsuit
Joining the Claim and What Compensation Looks Like
Irwin Mitchell continues to accept new claimants and runs the cases on a no-win, no-fee basis.17Irwin Mitchell. Cape Verde Group Claims The firm has described potential damages across the group as running into “millions of pounds,” with individual values turning on the severity and duration of illness, medical costs, and the impact on daily life. Solicitor Jatinder Paul has argued that Tui “had a responsibility in taking our clients away on a package holiday which was not going to cause them any illness.”5BBC News. Cape Verde Tui Illness Legal Action He has also cautioned affected travelers against accepting early settlement offers from tour operators “without understanding their full legal rights.”18ITV News. More Than 1,700 Brits Taking Legal Action Over Tui Cape Verde Illnesses
No large-scale settlement has been announced. With the first trial scheduled for late 2027, resolution for most claimants is likely still years away.