Egypt E.coli Outbreak for third consecutive year “Very Concerning”, Says Simpson Millar

Date: 22nd August 2019

Holiday Claims Solicitors at Simpson Millar have called on tour operators to do more to ensure their customers’ safety, following another outbreak of E.coli in Hurghada, Egypt.

Up to 25 British holidaymakers in the coastal resort have been struck down with E.coli, including a baby less than a year old. This is the third consecutive year in which there has been an E.coli outbreak in Hurghada, as 24 British tourists caught the bug in 2018, as did 11 visitors from the UK a year earlier.

Nick Harris, Head of Travel & Holiday Claims at Simpson Millar Solicitors, who has represented affected holidaymakers, said he is not surprised by this latest outbreak, as Hurghada is a “repeat offender with very poor hygiene practices”.

“Obviously they haven’t cleaned up their act,” he commented. “This is very concerning and people are quite rightly worried. If you visit this resort, you could be putting your life in someone else’s hands.

“The standards over there are much more lax than in the UK. When you eat over there, you are taking part in Russian roulette, as you have to rely on other people to wash their hands to stop you getting ill.”

Mr Harris described the resort as a “hotspot for illness” and urged tour operators to do “much more” to ensure their customers are safe on holiday.

“We have dealt with lots of holiday illness claims where people have been left seriously ill and with life-long health complications,” he added.

E.coli can be spread when water or food is contaminated with faecal matter, and can lead to symptoms including vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea and severe stomach cramps.

This latest outbreak comes a year after the deaths of British couple John Copper, 69, and his wife Susan, 63. Forensic examinations showed that Mr Cooper suffered acute intestinal dysentery caused by E.coli whilst staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Egypt, and that Mrs Cooper suffered a complication linked to infection, likely to have been caused by E.coli.

However, the Egyptian authorities have still not passed all medical reports and other relevant information to their British counterparts to enable a cause of death to be firmly established. The couple’s daughter, Kelly Ormerod, dismissed official reports that E.coli was responsible for her parents’ death.

Speaking to the Sun earlier this year, Ms Ormerod said: “If the Egyptian authorities have any compassion or humanity, they should help the coroner find out what happened.”

If you or a member of your family suffered sickness on holiday and believe the illness was caused by the fault or negligence of the hotel or tour operator, you may be entitled to compensation.

Start your No Win No Fee Holiday Claim by calling 08081293329