Two guests evacuated from Egypt death hotel are hit by deadly Shigella food poisoning that’s spread through poo
A mum and daughter say they have caught highly contagious food-poisoning infection shigellosis following their stay at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel in Hurghada
TWO tourists evacuated from the Egypt hotel where a Brit couple died claim they have been struck down with potentially fatal food-poisoning infection shigellosis.
The mum and her young daughter were evacuated by Thomas Cook from the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel along with 301 holidaymakers as a "precautionary measure" following the deaths.
The pair, from North West England, were part of a family of four who had all fallen ill while at the Red Sea resort of Hurghada on August 21, travel lawyer Nick Harris said.
Their claims come as Egypt's tourism minister said authorities would test food and hygiene at the hotel where John Cooper, 69, and wife Susan, 63, died within hours of each other.
Shigellosis is a highly contagious food poisoning infection caused by the shigella bug — which is said to kill hundreds of thousands a year worldwide.
Samples showed the mum and daughter had contracted the aggressive bacterial infection, a health officer told .
It comes after the hotel manager denied any increased incidences of illness among guests.
Mr Harris, from law firm Simpson Millar, told the Telegraph: "This is the first indication of a pathogen and completely changes the game.
"Shigella is a communicable disease.
"In my experience it is often food borne but it’s also water borne so you can get it through contaminated water."
The Coopers, from Burnley, Lancs, died last Tuesday after being struck down by a mystery illness at the hotel.
Their bodies are expected to be repatriated to the UK next week following a post-mortem.
Tourism Minister Rania al-Mashat said: "Autopsies on the two bodies are currently being conducted by a team of forensic pathologists.
"I anticipate this will be concluded during next week."
It has also emerged that Thomas Cook was last month ordered to pay £26,000 to a family who fell ill staying at the Egyptian hotel.
What is vomiting bug shigellosis?
ANYONE can catch shigellosis, making it all the more dangerous.
The vomiting bug is an infection caused by four species of shigella bacteria.
There are around 1,800 cases, also known as bacillary dysentery, in the UK every year.
However, globally shigellosis results in around 700,000 deaths each year - with the vast majority of fatalities being in the developing world.
The infection is spread by faecal to oral infection, from person to person and from hand to mouth.
It is often contracted when victims fail to wash their hands properly after using the toilet, and spreads quickly from this point.
Excellent hand hygiene is vital to stop the bacteria from spreading.
Be sure to wash your hands, and instruct kids to wash theirs as frequently as they can with soap and water.
In addition to this, don't share towels or flannels, or prepare or serve food for others.
Make a habit of regularly cleaning toilets with disinfectant by wiping the flush handle, toilet seat, bathroom taps and surfaces.
Shakel Valu, 39, and Nazaneen Farzadneia, 31, and their two children, aged five and six, were struck down with vomiting and diarrhoea.
The family claimed the Thomas Cook failed to ensure food and drink at the Aqua Magic in Hurghada was “safe for human consumption”.
It also allowed food to be “re-served or reused on more than one occasion” during their stay in April 2016, according to their claim.
Joanne Brine, a partner at JMW Solicitors who represented the South Wales family, said: "It's very sad to hear of the deaths of John and Susan Cooper on what should have been a happy family holiday, yet also incredibly concerning given our experience with this hotel in regards to hygiene standards.
"The fact that we have brought concerns to Thomas Cook's attention about the accuracy and reliability of the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel's record-keeping should set off alarm bells for those investigating what the failings of the management team to safeguard the health of its guests may have been on this occasion."
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Thomas Cook denied liability and said: “The safety and wellbeing of our customers is always our first priority and we would never send customers to a hotel we do not believe to be safe.”
Thomas Cook boss Peter Fankhauser travelled to Cairo to meet Mr Mashat and Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly on Wednesday "to get to the bottom of what went wrong".
Dieter Geiger, General Manager at Aqua Magic, said: "We are deeply saddened by the death.
"In such a circumstance, very little can be said that will help.
"This makes it even more important to stick to the facts.
"The doctor’s preliminary report indicates that death was due to natural causes.
"There are no indications to support allegations of an increased incidence of illness at the hotel.
"Such rash speculations should urgently be put aside out of respect for the family members of the deceased persons and for other guests."
Egypt relies heavily on tourism revenues, which have increased this year after the industry was hit hard by the turmoil that followed a 2011 popular uprising and terror attacks on tourists.
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