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Tests show E coli killed British tourist couple, says Egypt prosecutor Tests show E coli killed British tourist couple, says Egypt prosecutor
(about 2 hours later)
Egypt’s chief prosecutor has said tests have shown that E coli bacteria caused the deaths of two British tourists who were staying in a hotel in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada. The deaths of a British couple who were staying at a hotel in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Hurghada were caused by E coli bacteria, according to test results released by Egypt’s chief prosecutor on Wednesday.
The travel company Thomas Cook said last week that high levels of E coli and bacteria that can cause toxic shock syndrome were found at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel where John and Susan Cooper, aged 69 and 63, were staying on holiday when they died on 21 August. John Cooper, 69, had acute intestinal dysentery caused by E coli, and 63-year-old Susan Cooper had haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), probably because of E coli, said the Egyptian general prosecutor Nabil Sadek.
The Egyptian prosecutor Nabil Sadek said on Wednesday that forensic tests showed that John Cooper suffered acute intestinal dysentery caused by E coli, and Susan Cooper suffered haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), probably because of E coli. He said the couple’s bodies showed “no criminal violence”; other tests on air and water at the hotel found nothing unusual. Thomas Cook evacuated 300 guests from the hotel as a precaution.
He said the couple’s bodies showed “no criminal violence” and other tests on air and water at the hotel found nothing unusual. Their daughter, Kelly Ormerod, who was with them the night before they died, has said they used perfume to mask a strange odour in the room.
Thomas Cook evacuated 300 guests from the hotel as a precaution after the Coopers died. The forensic report denied there had been any leakage of harmful gases into the room. However, it detailed how the “unknown smell” noticed by Ormerod was “due to a leak of insecticide used in the next room”.
The Coopers’ daughter, Kelly Ormerod, who was with them the night before they died, has said they used perfume to cover up a strange odour in the room. The report added that the insecticide, lambda-cyhalothrin, a chemical commonly used to control pests in home gardening or in agriculture to prevent insects eating crops, was safe to use, and denied that it had anything to do with the deaths.
Thomas Cook said it was clear that “something went wrong in August at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel in Hurghada and that standards fell below what we expect from our hotel partners”. The report added that the postmortems showed John Cooper died from a cardiac arrest after blockages to an estimated 80% of the veins in his heart. He also tested positive for the E coli bacteria, which caused the vomiting and diarrhoea he experienced shortly before his death. The report adds that he had consumed alcohol and hash, a kind of marijuana.
Guests reported that some people were so ill that they defecated involuntarily in the swimming pools, and some complained of being served undercooked and raw chicken and drinks from dirty glasses. Susan Cooper is detailed in the report as suffering from Hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition that affects blood vessels and blood, and often occurs after people are infected with E coli. The report mentions that it was suggested that she contracted E coli “as she was staying with her husband and had eaten the same food”.
In a statement about the Coopers, Steigenberger said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death. All of our thoughts are with the family. In addition to our full support of the authorities, the tour operator and the franchise partner, we are highly engaged in running our own investigations.” The report also states that at 11.30am on the day they died, the Coopers’ daughter called doctors in the hotel to examine her parents. John Cooper was experiencing diarrhoea and vomiting and the “doctors gave him medicine they thought was appropriate, this being Ringer’s solution (rehydration salts) and a dexamethasone injection, a corticosteroid”. His condition worsened and he died in his room.
The Red Sea governorate originally described the incident as “normal death of an English old man and his wife”. Dr Maged Eladawy, the head of Hurghada hospital, claimed Sue Cooper, 63, who fell ill after the death of her husband, died “of grief”. Ormerod told Sky News: “The Egyptians are looking for someone to blame and I don’t believe for one minute that [E coli] caused their deaths. It is unheard of that someone dies of E coli in such a short space of time.”
Thomas Cook said it was clear “something went wrong in August at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel in Hurghada and that standards fell below what we expect from our hotel partners”.
The travel company said high levels of E coli and bacteria that could cause toxic shock syndrome were found at the hotel. Guests reported that some people were so ill they defecated involuntarily in the swimming pools, and some complained of being served undercooked and raw chicken as well as drinks from dirty glasses.
The Steigenberger hotel said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic deaths. All of our thoughts are with the family. In addition to our full support of the authorities, the tour operator and the franchise partner, we are highly engaged in running our own investigations.”
The Red Sea governorate originally described the incident as the “normal death of an English old man and his wife”. Dr Maged Eladawy, the head of Hurghada hospital, claimed Susan Cooper, who fell ill after the death of her husband, died “of grief”.
After its release on Wednesday, Egypt’s tourism minister, Rania al-Mashat, said the attorney general’s reports were “one more step forward towards helping the grieving Cooper family come to terms with the tragic loss of John and Susan”.
She added: “The causes of death, E coli bacteria, were medically determined by a team of internationally accredited pathologists, which I hope for the family’s sake will put an end to previous speculative suggestions of what might have happened.
“The health and safety of all tourists to Egypt are absolutely paramount. I am determined, together with the prime minister, Mostafa Madbouly, and our fellow ministers, to ensure the highest standards of wellbeing for all visitors to our country.
“We will review the attorney general’s autopsy reports in fine detail to determine our next course of action to look after the welfare of our visitors.”
Thomas Cook said last week the high level of E coli bacteria it had identified at the hotel would explain the raised level of illness reported among guests. But it said neither the independent specialists it commissioned to carry out the tests nor Dr Vanya Gant, from University College London hospitals NHS foundation trust, believed the results shed any light on the cause of the Coopers’ deaths.
Thomas Cook is preparing a compensation package for customers who reported an illness while staying at the hotel in August. It has also rolled out a programme of “specialist hygiene assessments” to all its hotels that experience a higher-than-average reported level of sickness.
A spokesman said: “Thomas Cook notes the announcement today by the Egyptian prosecutor on the results of the autopsies of John and Susan Cooper, following their deaths at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic in Hurghada on 21 August 2018.
“We have not yet seen the full report, and we will need time for our own experts to review it. We are deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of John and Susan Cooper. We will continue to offer every support to their daughter Kelly and the rest of their family.”
Additional reporting by Adham Youssef
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