Oxford News
Travel warning in place for Cape Verde amid health concerns
Since October 1, hundreds of cases of Shigella and Salmonella infection in travellers returning to England, Scotland, and Wales from the Cape Verde Islands have been reported.
UK health officials issued a warning back in February to Brits travelling to the area following this spike in cases.
More than 1,700 people have now joined a legal claim against travel company Tui after becoming ill while on holiday in the Cape Verde Islands, according to the BBC .
More than 1,700 Brits who fell ill in Cape Verde join action against Tui https://t.co/Bv2K88rX2B
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) April 7, 2026
The broadcaster said: “Lawyers from Irwin Mitchell, who are leading the personal injury claim, say they have been contacted by people who became ill there as recently as two weeks ago.
“They believe at least eight Britons have now died after holidays there in recent years.”
Tui is investigating the claims and said it was “not in a position to provide a statement at this stage”.
What is Shigella?
Shigella are bacteria that can cause shigellosis, an infection of the gut that can result in severe diarrhoea, fever, and stomach cramps, Travel Health Pro explains.
Most people recover from shigellosis within a week.
The health experts added: “However, some individuals, such as older adults, individuals with weakened immune systems, anyone with complex medical conditions, pregnant women, and children under five, may be at greater risk of complications, including sepsis.”
Shigella is spread by contact with contaminated faeces either directly through person-to-person transmission or indirectly from food, water or surfaces contaminated with Shigella.
Travel Health Pro said: “There is a risk for travellers to places where food and water may be unsafe.”
What is Salmonella?
Meanwhile, Salmonella is a common bacterial infection that mainly affects the intestines/gut.
The Food Standards Agency continued: “Salmonella bacteria typically live in the intestines of infected animals and humans and are shed through faeces.
“Humans become infected most often through contaminated water or food.”
Symptoms of Salmonella, which usually develop between 12 and 72 hours after becoming infected, include:
- Diarrhoea
- Stomach cramps
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
Travel warnings in place for Cape Verde Islands
Health warnings remain in place (as of April 7) for the Cape Verde Islands, according to the Foreign Office’s travel advice .
It said: “The UK Health Security Agency is investigating an increase in reports of Shigella sonnei and Salmonella infection in travellers returning from Cape Verde.
“If you have an underlying health condition, speak to a healthcare professional before travelling.”
The Foreign Office advises Brits travelling to Cape Verde to check they have the appropriate travel insurance and that their destination can provide the healthcare needed (if required).
It adds: “This is particularly important if you have a health condition or are pregnant.
“Global Health Insurance Cards (GHIC) are not accepted in Cape Verde, so it is essential that you have appropriate travel insurance.”
Shigella is a bacterial infection that causes severe diarrhoea and stomach cramps.
Cases are rising, so it’s important to know the symptoms & how to protect yourself. Our latest blog post explains how Shigella spreads and who’s at risk ✈️🧼https://t.co/JGjfhhFAaD pic.twitter.com/CeNJrzJq3K
— UK Health Security Agency (@UKHSA) March 26, 2026
Vaccinations required for travel to Cape Verde
Travellers to the Cape Verde Islands are also urged to be up to date with routine vaccinations recommended in the UK .
Other vaccinations recommended by Travel Health Pro include:
- Hepatitis A
- Tetanus
- Typhoid
- Dengue
- Hepatitis B
- Rabies (Bat Lyssavirus)
- Tuberculosis
‘I noticed uncooked meat being served’ while in Cape Verde, says travel expert
Co-founder of Travel City, Lee Dobson, visited Boa Vista on the Cape Verde Islands in June 2025 and “noticed undercooked meat being served at the buffet”.
Mr Dobson said: “It is the kind of thing you brush off at the time, but given what we now know about the ongoing issues out there, it sticks with you.
“Even at a decent hotel, you cannot afford to switch off about what you are eating and drinking.”
Medical facilities in Cape Verde are “basic and limited”, the Travel City co-founder warned, while some medicines are in “short supply or unavailable”.
Mr Dobson advised those travelling to the area to:
- Take oral rehydration sachets
- Check your insurance covers medical treatment and evacuation
- Be aware that Cape Verde does not accept GHIC cards
Your rights if you become ill while on holiday
If travellers do get ill while travelling to Cape Verde, or anywhere else, Mr Dobson said to speak to your rep or agent “straight away” and keep any medical receipts or documentation.
He explained: “A lot of people do not realise their rights kick in while they are still on holiday, not just when they get home.
“Under the Package Travel Regulations 2018, the tour operator has a legal duty to assist travellers in difficulty, including pointing you toward health services and consular help.
“So if you fall ill, go to your rep straight away and ask them in writing what they are doing to help you. That paper trail matters later.
“The operator is also liable to compensate where injury or illness is sustained as a result of the holiday they supplied, including through the actions of a third party hotel.”
Mr Dobson continued: “Anyone affected should avoid accepting a goodwill gesture or partial refund without speaking to a solicitor first.
“Accepting a direct offer could leave you well short of what you are owed and make it harder to claim further down the line.”
For those who booked flights and accommodation separately, travellers will need to pursue the hotel under Cape Verdean law.
This is a “considerably harder and more expensive path”, and “one where travel insurance becomes absolutely critical”, travel expert at Lapland Famille , Alex Dyer, reveals.
For those eligible to claim, compensation can cover:
- Medical treatment costs
- Loss of enjoyment of the holiday
- Damages for pain, suffering, and any ongoing health complications
RECOMMENDED READING:
For package holiday claims pursued against a UK-based operator under English law, the limitation period is generally three years from the date of illness.
Those who booked independently and need to claim under local law need to seek legal advice “promptly”.
Mr Dyer continued: “What matters most right now is documentation. Anyone who fell ill should gather medical records, proof of diagnosis, receipts for any treatment, and a clear written timeline of events.
“All correspondence with the travel company should be kept too — this can be crucial evidence.”
Are you due to go on holiday to Cape Verde? Let us know in the comments below.
Charlbury-based Richard Coffey launched Bar Trender around six weeks ago to help businesses facing damage, and ultimately closure, from rising costs and economic uncertainty.
In the city, 22 venues have signed up, including pubs in hotspots such as Cowley Road and Jericho.
The venture was seeded while travelling in Australia. There, he noticed Sydney and Melbourne’s bar scenes were built around happy hours, a culture which he said didn’t really exist back in the UK.
After 10 years of hard work, after leaving a London start-up, he pursued the venture with the help of Artificial Intelligence to cut team and budget requirements.
READ MORE: Oxford MPs welcome social media ban but warn of implementation
He said: “I kept finding myself not knowing what was on, where had decent deals, or which pubs had the features I was looking for. The information existed, it just wasn’t anywhere in one place.”
The app, which provides full autonomy to the business, helps to boost their sales by providing visibility and awareness for the consumer.
He says this comes at a time when people are “more conscious than ever about where they spend their money”.
He said: “The idea of being able to see what deals are near you before you decide where to go is genuinely useful right now in a way it perhaps wouldn’t have been five years ago.
“The cost of living crisis has fundamentally changed how people make decisions about going out.
“It’s not that people don’t want to go out, but they’re making more considered choices about where they spend their money.”
READ MORE: Crowds gathered for family-friendly fun day in Oxfordshire village
The venture will also support the wider hospitality sector, which is also under “enormous pressure”.
Bar Trender is proud to support Tom Kerridge’s VAT’s The Problem campaign, which is calling for a 10 per cent cut in VAT for hospitality venues.
He said: “Energy costs, wage increases, food and drink inflation and the lingering effects of the pandemic have squeezed margins to the point where venues that were thriving five years ago are now struggling to survive.
“We’re seeing more pub closures than at any point in recent memory and once they are lost, are very rarely replaced.”
A launch event will take place at Plush on Friday, June 16, with free shots and drink vouchers available to anyone who has the app downloaded.
Christopher Farr, owner of the LGBTQ+ night club and bar, said the venue is committed to making clubbing safe, affordable and fun.
He said: “The partnership is the perfect way to communicate our affordable drink deals in a fun and easy to use app.”
Oxfordshire County Council’s SEND reform proposals were discussed by its cabinet on Tuesday, June 16.
They include expanding inclusion in mainstream schools, boosting recruitment of educational psychologists and therapists, and creating inclusion support bases.
Sean Gaul, the council’s cabinet member for children, education and young people’s services, said: “Every child deserves an opportunity to thrive whatever their circumstances and this plan sets out how we will deliver better, more inclusive support for children and young people with SEND.
“We are working closely with partners and with families, children and young people who are at the heart of the SEND system.”
Ofsted has previously recognised recent improvements in Oxfordshire’s SEND services, including better joint commissioning and reduced waiting times.
The plan has been developed in consultation with health partners, schools, and the Oxfordshire Parent Carer Forum, and focuses on early intervention, universal and targeted support, and improved outcomes.
If approved, the council will receive a high needs stability grant, potentially covering up to 90 per cent of its dedicated schools grant deficit.
Mr Gaul said: “It’s a vital step towards improving outcomes while making sure our services are sustainable for the future.”
The reform plan is part of the council’s response to national education reforms, including the ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ Schools White Paper and the ‘putting children and young people first’ SEND consultation.
Councils must submit their SEND reform plans to the Department for Education by 19 June.
The former Top Gear and Grand Tour host delivered the update via social media this evening (Tuesday, June 16) ahead of the release of the final two Clarkson’s Farm episodes.
The fifth series of the highly popular show premiered on June 3 and has already seen Mr Clarkson battling a major health scare and embrace high-tech farming.
READ MORE: Popular Oxford United community pub put up for £495,000 sale
Set at his 1,000-acre Oxfordshire farm Diddly Squat, in addition the latest season has shown the television host planning for the first festive period at his pub The Farmer’s Dog.
However, the next two episodes – which will be released tonight – are set to be very downbeat.
On Instagram, he said he had “sombre news”.
He added: “Ordinarily we try to keep the show bucolic and charming and cheerful.
“But the final two episodes which drop in the middle of the night tonight are none of those things really. They are a difficult watch.
“They’re really, really difficult.”
Reiterating that, the episode titles are ‘Reaping’ and ‘Sickening’ and may show the bovine TB outbreak that occurred at Diddly Squat in 2025.
READ MORE: Top UK charity’s £350,000 debts to National Lottery and Amazon as jobs lost
It led to the deaths of several animals.
The first series of Clarkson’s Farm premiered in 2021 and was an instant hit with viewers making stars out of its cast which include Mr Clarkson’s partner Lisa Hogan and farm assistant Kaleb Cooper.
It has been renewed for a sixth series.
-
Crime & Safety4 weeks agoOxfordshire bridge closure comes as management ‘weaknesses’ found
-
Crime & Safety4 weeks agoWhat happens to Halifax customers if Lloyds makes changes?
-
Oxford News4 weeks agoActor steps down from major role in new Harry Potter series
-
UK News4 weeks agoBurnham seeks to calm markets by committing to fiscal rules
-
UK News4 weeks agoGlass deposit scheme 'risks major problems' for retail industry
-
UK News4 weeks agoEx-minister Shapps quits aerospace firm over rule concerns
-
Crime & Safety4 weeks agoRyan Bridge speaks of London arrest after Oxford incident
-
Crime & Safety4 weeks agoOxfordshire man accused of sexual offences 40 years ago