The death of a one-year-old British girl after a holiday at a five-star hotel in Hurghada, Egypt, has brought back the gastrointestinal risks of staying in destinations where the tap water is not potable.
According to the Daily Mail, Ariella Mann fell ill after a stay at Jaz Makadi Aquaviva and developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious kidney complication associated with E.coli infection. Two other British families claim their children also suffered serious health problems after staying at the same hotel.
The cases took place between July 2024 and January 2026. The families are now demanding answers and operator TUI said it had requested an independent investigation into hygiene and food safety at the hotel. According to the company, the checks did not identify any traces of E.coli, and TUI states that it is not appropriate to speculate on the cause until the procedures are completed.
The children fell ill after staying at the same resort
Ariella Mann went to Egypt in December 2025 with her parents and sister. During the vacation, the little girl started to have fever, vomiting and diarrhea. After returning to the UK, her condition worsened and the child was admitted to a specialist pediatric hospital. Doctors confirmed hemolytic uremic syndrome, and the girl died on January 10, 2026.
Two other British children, Chloe Crook and Arthur Broughton, developed the same syndrome after holidays at Jaz Makadi Aquaviva. Specifically, Chloe, aged two at the time of the stay, was airlifted to London and six-year-old Arthur ended up in intensive care and required dialysis.
Discussions also among Romanian parents: “The water is not drinkable, but you get plenty of bottled water”
The subject of holidays in Egypt with small children is also frequently discussed in Romanian travel groups. On the Facebook group “Holidays under 500 euros”, a mother was asking if Egypt was a safe choice for a family with two young children, 1 year and 4 years, with water and hygiene concerns.
The answers are divided. One discussion participant wrote: “Misery is outside the resorts, not in the Resort. Choose one with good service and you will be satisfied.”
The same user added: “The water is not potable, but you get plenty of bottled water”.
Someone else recounted: “I have been to Egypt twice, circuit and cruise on the Nile and I had no problems. My daughter was in a resort and had stomach problems, in fact most of the group. It depends on the case…remember that you should not use tap water.”
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“Use only bottled water”
Most Romanians who answered in the discussion on Facebook insisted on the same rule: tap water should be avoided, including when brushing your teeth.
One participant wrote: “Use bottled water for brushing your teeth and drinking and it’s ok.”
Another confirmed: “Avoid using tap water, only bottled water.”
Another comment warns about ice in drinks: “You won’t have a problem…Warning! The big mistake many people make is using ice in various drinks…There’s a problem. The ice is made from their water…so…”
Positive experiences, but also episodes of enterocolitis
Many Romanians say that they went to Egypt several times with small children and had no problems. One user wrote: “We have been to Egypt twice with children, the youngest was one year old, we had no problems at all. We brushed our teeth with bottled water, but that was it.”
Another participant said: “We go every year with small children, since they were babies (3 children). We’ve never had any problems, neither us nor them.”
However, there are also negative experiences. One user recounted: “I was a week ago in a 5* resort… the resort is beautiful, heated pools, but believe me, since I stepped into this country, everything seemed so poor and dirty(…) 2 days after we came back, we all had vomiting and diarrhea, from small to big.”
Repeated recommendation: good hotel, bottled water, medical insurance
In their discussion, the idea that the choice of resort matters a lot comes up frequently. Someone said: “Effectively use only bottled water, including brushing your teeth, wash your fruit, keep your mouth shut so they don’t drink the pool water, and look for a better hotel, God help.”
Another added: “But in any case, have travel medical insurance. In case you need a doctor, it costs a lot to call the doctor in the resort”.
Western foreign ministries have not currently issued blanket warnings against holidaying in Egypt’s tourist resorts, but are recommending the usual safety and hygiene measures.
Ariella Mann’s case does not prove that all holidays in Egypt are dangerous, and investigations have not publicly established the exact cause of the illnesses. Still, the tragedy brings back into focus the importance of precautions for families traveling with young children, especially in destinations where tourists are advised to avoid drinking tap water.
