The family of a British woman who died after contracting a deadly stomach bug while on holiday in Cape Verde has issued a warning to other tourists.
Karen Pooley, 64, from Gloucestershire, fell ill during a two-week break in the African island nation last October.
Ms Pooley’s older brother Keith has now told holidaymakers to ‘think before you book’, and ensure they have adequate insurance.
In total, six Brits have died from severe gastric illnesses contracted in Cape Verde since January 2023, law firm Irwin Mitchell says.
Today Keith told Sky News: ‘One person [dying] is too many, if it goes on the way it is going, how many more are going to suffer?
‘I would urge people to think before you book. If you do think about going, do a lot of research and make sure you have adequate insurance.’
During Ms Pooley’s illness, she slipped while in her hotel room, breaking her leg.
She was rushed to a clinic where she spent four days being treated before being flown to Tenerife, where she died the following day.
Karen Pooley (pictured with her son), from Lydney, Gloucestershire, travelled with a friend to the Riu Funana resort in Sal on October 7, 2025, for a two-week holiday costing £3,000, booked through TUI
Ms Pooley (right) was taken to a local clinic, where she continued to suffer diarrhoea, vomiting and severe pain from a fractured femur
Her sister-in-law said she ‘lived the last few days on this Earth in agony’.
She added: ‘We are heartbroken. We still can’t get over it. I am angry and I want to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.’
Specialist lawyers at Irwin Mitchell say they are representing the families of six Brits who have passed away since January 2023.
Elena Walsh, 64, from Birmingham, Mark Ashley, 55, of Bedfordshire, Ms Pooley, and a 56-year-old man all died last year after contracting severe gastric illnesses while on the islands off the coast of West Africa.
A man in his 60s from Watford also died in November 2024 after suffering a gastric illness following his trip.
Mr Ashley’s wife Emma, 55, said her family is in ‘complete shock’ following his sudden death.
‘We went to Cape Verde expecting a relaxing break, but Mark became violently ill and never recovered,’ she said.
The self-employed forklift truck driver fell ill just three days into the couple’s October holiday, suffering stomach pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, and extreme lethargy, the law firm said.
Mrs Ashley, an early years assistant manager, said they had paid more than £3,000 for the trip booked via TUI, and reported her husband’s illness via the company’s app on October 9, 2025.
The couple, who had been married for 26 years, stayed at the five-star Riu Palace Santa Maria resort in Sal, and she has since raised concerns about hygiene standards at the hotel.
After returning to the UK, father-of-two Mr Ashley continued to suffer symptoms.
Part-time nurse and mother-of-one, Elena Walsh, (left) died in August 2025 after falling ill while staying at the Riu Cabo Verde on the same island
Ms Walsh had flown to Cape Verde on a £5,000 TUI package holiday with her husband Patrick (left), their son Sean (right) and their future daughter-in-law Gemma
A post-mortem examination carried out in the UK found there was nothing wrong with Ms Walsh’s (second left) appendix, and it ruled she had died of heart failure, while listing gastroenteritis as a secondary cause of death
He collapsed at home in Houghton Regis and was taken to the hospital on November 12, 2025, where he was pronounced dead minutes later.
His death has been referred to the coroner, and investigations are continuing.
Part-time nurse and mother-of-one Ms Walsh died in August 2025 after falling ill while staying at the Riu Cabo Verde on the same island.
She had flown to Cape Verde on a £5,000 TUI package holiday with her husband Patrick, their son Sean, and their future daughter-in-law Gemma.
But shortly after arriving, Ms Walsh contracted a stomach bug, and the pain was so unbearable she was rushed to hospital, where local doctors thought she had appendicitis.
She was given an epidural for pain relief, but doctors attempted to remove her healthy organ, with her husband, Patrick, 60, telling The Times that he heard her ‘crying out in pain’ from outside the operating theatre.
‘The last words she shouted were “you’re hurting me, you’re hurting me”, he said, “That’s the last of her.”
Upon the first incision, Ms Walsh suffered a heart attack, and the operation was stopped. She never regained consciousness.
Jane Pressley, a care assistant from Gainsborough, also fell ill while staying in Santa Maria, Sal, on her dream holiday in November 2022.
The two week holiday was booked to celebrate Jane’s 62nd birthday, and two days in Jane fell ill with gastric and flu-like symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea.
Jane Pressley, pictured with husband Michael, is one of six Brits to have died following gastric illness in Cape Verde
Mark Ashley (back left), 55, of Bedfordshire died last year after contracting severe gastric illnesses while on holiday in Cape Verde
Upon her return home she was taken to Lincoln County Hospital on Christmas Eve due to her deteriorating condition, but sadly she died less than two weeks later on January 5, 2023.
An investigation is ongoing into the death of the 62-year-old and the other five deaths, four of which occurred between November 2024 and December 2025.
The law firm says that the latest deaths bring into ‘sharp focus’ the number of British tourists falling ill in Cape Verde.
It says it is now representing more than 1,700 British holidaymakers who have suffered gastric illness linked to holidays in Cape Verde since 2022, including the families of the six Britons who have died.
All of them booked their holidays through tour operator TUI, which has denied liability.
Health officials across Europe began detecting a surge in shigella infections late last year, a bacterial illness that causes severe diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps.
The infection spreads through contaminated food or water and person-to-person contact, and while most people recover, it can be dangerous for vulnerable patients.
Investigations found that many of those testing positive had recently returned from Cape Verde.
The UK’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said this week that cases of shigella are on the decline, but that ongoing issues with salmonella also associated with travel to Cape Verde continue.
Jatinder Paul, an expert international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing families, said: ‘The number of holidaymakers to Cape Verde being struck down with serious and debilitating gastric illnesses is truly staggering.
‘Nothing brings the gravity of this situation into sharper focus than these recent deaths.
‘In my experience I’m used to supporting holidaymakers who have fallen ill at resorts across the globe, but I’ve never seen repeated and continued illness outbreaks at the same resorts on such a scale over such a period of time.’
Cape Verde, an archipelago of ten islands sitting around 350 miles west of Senegal in the Atlantic Ocean, has long been marketed as a sun-soaked paradise with year-round warmth and golden beaches (stock)
He continued: ‘It’s almost incomprehensible that holidaymakers continue to describe the hygiene issues at these Cape Verde hotels year-after-year.
‘Each case isn’t a statistic; it’s a human story of how lives have been turned upside down.
‘Understandably, those we represent have serious concerns about hygiene standards in Cape Verde.
‘While nothing can make up for what’s happened we’re determined to at least help establish the answers they deserve.’
Mr Paul added: ‘In the meantime, we call for meaningful and decisive action to get on top of the reported hygiene issues on the islands.
‘Tour operators are responsible for ensuring the safety of those who have booked all-inclusive package holidays. Therefore, we urge them to work with the authorities to ensure the highest hygiene and safety standards are always upheld.’
The first High Court hearing into claims for damages in relation to holidaymakers falling ill in Cape Verde was due to take place this week.
The law firm says that several other group actions involving UK holidaymakers who fell ill in Cape Verde after booking through TUI are also expected to be listed in the coming months.
TUI has been contacted for comment.
