Since 2022, more than 1,000 cases of dysentery and other gastrointestinal infections have been detected in people returning from Cape Verde to several countries in Europe, the UK and the US.
Between September 2022 and March 2026, 766 confirmed and probable Shigella infections were reported in 13 EU countries, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The UK is the most affected country with 263 cases, followed by Sweden with 120. Seven patients reside in the United States.
The disease has also been recorded in Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal and the Netherlands.
During the same period, there were more than 300 confirmed and probable infections, including salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, yersiniosis, amebiasis, Shiga toxin-producing and enteroinvasive E. coli. Escherichia coli (STEC and EIEC) infections have been reported in people returning from Cape Verde.
Advice and Background
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said the source of infection had not been identified, but information suggested food or waterborne transmission.
The agency added that there was a ‘moderate’ risk of new infections occurring among holidaymakers visiting the Santa Maria region. Laboratory testing of samples from returning travelers most frequently identified Shigella and Salmonella, suggesting a persistent source of infection or ongoing exposure.
Epidemiological information shows that most of the patients with dysentery and other gastrointestinal infections stayed in the same general hotel chain in the Santa Maria area of Sal Island.
ECDC advises travelers to eat well-cooked food served hot. Avoid ready-to-eat foods, such as unwashed fruits and vegetables, salads, and products containing ice, and focus on hand hygiene, especially before cooking, eating, and after using the bathroom.
Earlier this year, public health authorities in Cape Verde responded to new reports of Shigella infections in people who had visited Cape Verde.
The Department of Health said the claims were “likely to raise serious, disproportionate and unfair alarm” about the country’s health service. The agency said that the temporal coincidence of travel and illness does not prove a causal relationship.
The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) previously reported that most Shigella sonnei cases identified since October 2025 had been to Cape Verde.
The agency also noted an increase in three types of salmonella associated with travel to Cape Verde. These included two Salmonella Enteritidis and one Salmonella Virchow outbreak.
Law firm Irwin Mitchell is representing more than 1,500 Britons who have fallen ill after traveling to Cape Verde since 2022.
