More than 1,000 cases of shigellosis and other gastrointestinal infections have been detected in people returning from Cape Verde to several countries in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States since 2022.
Between September 2022 and March 2026, 766 confirmed and possible Shigella infections were reported by 13 EU countries, the UK and the U.S.
The UK is the most affected country with 263 cases, while Sweden has 120. Seven patients live in the U.S.
Illnesses have also been recorded in Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and the Netherlands.
During the same period, more than 300 confirmed and possible infections, such as salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, yersiniosis, amoebiasis, and Shiga toxin producing and enteroinvasive E. coli (STEC and EIEC) infections, were reported in people coming back from Cape Verde.
Advice and background
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said the source of infection has not been identified, but information points to food- or waterborne transmission.
The agency added that there was a “moderate” likelihood of new infections in holidaymakers visiting the Santa Maria region. Laboratory testing of samples from returning travelers has most often identified Shigella and Salmonella, which suggests a persistent source or ongoing exposure.
Epidemiological information shows that most patients with shigellosis and other gastrointestinal infections stayed at the same all-inclusive hotel chain in the Santa Maria region on the island of Sal.
ECDC advised travelers to consume well-cooked foods served hot. Avoid ready-to-eat foods, including unwashed fruits and vegetables, salads, and ice-containing products and focus on hand hygiene, especially before cooking, eating and after using the toilet.
Earlier this year, public health officials in Cape Verde reacted to renewed reports of Shigella infections in people who had been to the country.
The Ministry of Health said such claims are “serious, disproportionate, and likely to cause unjustified alarm” about health services in the country. The agency said the temporal coincidence between travel and illness is not proof of causality.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) previously reported most Shigella sonnei patients identified since October 2025 had been to Cape Verde.
The agency also noted increases in three types of Salmonella associated with travel to Cape Verde. This included two Salmonella Enteritidis and one Salmonella Virchow outbreak.
Law firm Irwin Mitchell is representing more than 1,500 British people who have fallen ill after travel to Cape Verde since 2022.
