A British baby girl has died after she contracted E coli while on holiday in Egypt, lawyers have said.
One-year-old Ariella Mann became severely ill after she travelled to the five‑star Jaz Makadi Aquaviva in Hurghada, Egypt, with her parents in December 2025. She was admitted to hospital after arriving back in the UK, where doctors confirmed she had contracted haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) - a rare but serious kidney condition linked to E coli - that led to her death.
Two other children also became seriously ill and developed HUS after staying at the same hotel between July 2024 and January 2026, specialist injury lawyers Irwin Mitchell said.
Chloe Crook, aged two at the time of her holiday, and Arthur Broughton, then aged six, are both still under the care of specialist nephrology teams after contracting HUS during their stays at the Jaz Makadi Aquaviva, according to Irwin Mitchell.
Lawyers representing the Mann family and the families of Chloe and Arthur are now demanding answers of holiday operators Tui and the hotel.
Ariella’s mum Jade Oakes, 34, said she and Ariella’s dad Lee Mann, 37, were left feeling “completely helpless” as they watched their daughter grow sick while on their dream £6,000 package holiday.
“We went to Egypt expecting to make happy memories with our little girl, but instead it became the worst time of our lives,” she said. “Ariella was such a happy child, and it quickly became obvious that she wasn’t herself, but nothing could ever have prepared us for what happened.”
Ariella began to show symptoms including fever, vomiting, and diarrhoea while they were away. She was treated several times at the hotel’s clinic but failed to improve.
The family flew back to the UK on January 5, 2026. But Ariella continued to worsen, and was later rushed to hospital in an ambulance.
On 7 January, Ariella was transferred to a specialist children’s hospital, where she was admitted to intensive care and placed into an induced coma. There it was confirmed that Ariella had contracted E coli, causing HUS, which required dialysis and also affected her brain.
Her condition continued to worsen, and she died on 10 January.
“We felt completely helpless watching Ariella suffer,” Ms Oakes said. “Later, hearing that other children had developed the same illness, I was distraught. We want to warn other families about the dangers of E coli and HUS.”
She added: “I can’t begin to describe the pain of losing a child. After Ariella’s death, returning from hospital to her unopened Christmas presents was unbearable. Lee hasn’t felt able to return to work since Ariella left us and we do our best to support each other, but most days it is a struggle to even get out of bed.
“Ariella was a special, inquisitive and loving little girl, and the best daughter and little sister anyone could have wished for. We will miss her with all our hearts.
“This has been a horrific time for our whole family, and we know we will never be the same again. We deserve answers about what happened to our daughter.”
Chloe Crook, who was two at the time of her holiday in July 2024, suffered similar symptoms to Ariella while in Egypt and was later airlifted to hospital in London for treatment.
She was placed into an induced coma for four days. During this time, Chloe developed pneumonia and was found to have a blood clot in her neck and arm, which she also received treatment for.
Chloe was later discharged but continues to be under the care of the hospital’s nephrology team.
Arthur Broughton, who also developed HUS after staying at the hotel in August 2025, had to relearn how to walk properly due to the impact of the illness on his brain, lawyers said. His kidney function currently operates at approximately 70 per cent, and he continues to take medication, while remaining under the care of a specialist nephrology team.
Jatinder Paul, the lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing the families, said it is a “major concern” that all three cases happened at the same hotel.
A spokesperson for Tui said: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Ariella, and our thoughts remain with her parents and family at this incredibly difficult time. This is a devastating loss, and we recognise the profound impact this tragedy has had on them. “We are also very sorry to hear about the serious illnesses experienced by Arthur and Chloe, and the effect this has had on them and their families. We appreciate how frightening such experiences can be.
“Reports of illness, particularly involving children, are taken extremely seriously. As soon as we were advised of the illness by Ariella’s family on their return home, we took immediate action by instructing an independent health and safety investigation. We continue to monitor any reports of illness in line with our routine process alongside the hotel, local authorities and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and full cooperation is being given to all relevant investigations. It would not be appropriate to speculate on cause while these processes are ongoing.
“Customers with health concerns during or following their holiday are encouraged to seek medical advice and to contact our customer support team so that assistance can be offered.”
The Jaz Makadi Aquaviva has been contacted for comment.
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