Foreign Office issues warning for popular winter sun destination after diarrhoea outbreak
Brits travelling to popular winter sun spot issued diarrhoea warning
- The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is investigating a sharp rise in shigella infections among travellers returning to the UK from Cape Verde.
- Since early October, 109 of 137 confirmed UK cases have reported recent travel to the archipelago, experiencing symptoms such as bloody diarrhoea, cramps and fever.
- The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) highlighted this as a recurrent outbreak, similar to one in 2022, often linked to five-star, all-inclusive hotels in the Santa Maria region of Sal.
- Officials suspect the infection is most likely spread through contaminated food or water, or person-to-person contact due to poor hygiene.
- The FCDO warns that medical facilities in Cape Verde are basic and limited, and while most recover within a week, the infection can be severe for young children or those with weakened immunity.