A student felt like she had been “hit by a bus” when she fell ill with dengue fever during her vacation.
Cara Pyperwent went on holiday to Bali, Indonesia, for two weeks when she suddenly started feeling “very unwell”.
The 22-year-old from Edinburgh developed a high fever, headaches, muscle aches and extreme fatigue – all common symptoms of dengue.
In a video taken by her friend, Abbi Whorriskey, 22, the student can be seen flailing her arms as if she were “possessed” as if she were swatting flies in her sleep.
Whorriskey joked that she might need to “call a priest” after seeing her friend’s “scary” movements while she slept.
Cara Pyperwent, 22, went on holiday to Bali, Indonesia, for two weeks when she suddenly started feeling “deadly unwell”.
Ms Pyperwent developed a high fever, headaches, muscle aches and extreme fatigue, all common symptoms of dengue.
Pyperwent’s friend Abbi Whorriskey, 22 (left), joined her on holiday in Bali – but the couple didn’t know she had a deadly virus.
But at the time, Pyperwent didn’t realize he had dengue and thought it might just be a hangover, so he forced himself to continue sightseeing.
Ms Pyperwent, who is currently studying Education at university, said: “It was hell at the time. I felt terribly bad.
‘About two weeks into our holiday, I was literally struck by an unexpected illness.
‘I literally felt like I had been hit by a bus. My whole body felt heavy and sore.
‘I thought he was just exhausted from the time difference or maybe it was the drinking.
‘I thought maybe it was just a hangover.
‘I was shocked when I woke up and saw the video Abbi took. It scares me.
‘I don’t know if I was hallucinating in my dream or something, but that was one of the first days I contracted this illness.
‘I don’t know if I was imagining flies in my dream, but I’ve never moved like that in my sleep before. It was really bad.
‘My friend was obviously terrified, she thought she was going to have to call a priest.’
In a video taken by her friend, Abbi Whorriskey, 22, the student can be seen flapping her arms as if she were “possessed” as if she were swatting flies in her sleep. Whorriskey joked that she might need to “call a priest” after seeing her friend’s “scary” movements while she slept.
The student felt ‘hit by a bus’ when she fell ill with dengue
But at the time, Ms Pyperwent didn’t realize she had dengue and thought it might simply be a hangover, so she forced herself to continue sightseeing.
Dengue is a potentially deadly virus that is transmitted to people through infected mosquitoes and was historically known as “breakbone fever” in the 18th century due to the intense pain it can cause in muscles and joints, one of its symptoms. .
It is endemic to Central and South America, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia.
In most cases, symptoms appear four to ten days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
Typically, a dengue infection manifests as flu-like symptoms, with patients suffering from a fever that lasts between two and seven days; This may peak, decline, and then peak again during this time.
During the first days this may be accompanied by facial redness.
Dengue is a potentially deadly virus that is transmitted to people through infected mosquitoes and was historically known as “breakbone fever.”
Dengue is a potentially deadly virus that is transmitted to people through infected mosquitoes. It is endemic to Central and South America, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia.
In most cases, symptoms appear four to ten days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
Other common symptoms at this stage include severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain (giving the disease its bone-breaking nickname), nausea, vomiting, and swollen glands.
A flat, red rash may appear over most of the body three to seven days after the fever starts, which is believed to be caused by an immune system reaction to the virus. This causes itching in about a quarter of patients.
Although less common, bleeding gums can also be seen.
Pyperwent said he went through “hell” as he tried to continue enjoying and exploring his holiday while battling his symptoms.
She said: ‘I needed to sleep 24 hours a day, but because I was in Bali I wanted to push myself to go to the monkey forest and all that.
‘It started to get better five or six days later, but it probably lasted about eight days.
‘Even when I thought I was getting better, I looked so bad that a waiter asked me if I was okay because I looked so sick.
‘I was still trying to do as much as I could when I was sick. He was simply in a lot of pain and he slept wherever he could.
“The rest of my time was unreal though, it was completely seamless.”
Pyperwent said he went through “hell” as he tried to continue enjoying and exploring his holiday while battling his symptoms.
Now he hopes to warn other tourists and backpackers to layer up, use mosquito repellent and get as much rest as possible if they think they have dengue.
He advises tourists to layer up and use mosquito repellent to protect themselves.
Now he hopes to warn other tourists and backpackers to layer up, use mosquito repellent and get as much rest as possible if they think they have dengue.
“I think dengue is at its peak right now,” he said.
“It doesn’t just happen in Bali, although you can get it in many countries, it was simply from a mosquito bite and mosquitoes love me.”
“I’m no stranger to mosquito bites, so I was wearing mosquito repellent, but I would definitely warn others to maybe put on some extra layers.”
“If you feel like you have it, maybe consider getting an IV and trying to rest as much as possible.”
If you are in a country where dengue is found, the best way to prevent infection is to avoid mosquito bites, according to the NHS.
The best way to do this is to wear long-sleeved clothing and pants that cover your arms and legs, especially early in the morning and early at night; use insect repellent on your skin; close windows and doors whenever possible, or use blinds or mosquito nets; Sleep under an insecticide-treated mosquito net, even during the day.
There is no treatment for dengue, but you can help relieve your symptoms: resting, drinking plenty of fluids, taking paracetamol to help lower the temperature and relieve pain.
But the NHS is urging people not to take anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen or aspirin. These can cause bleeding problems if you have dengue.
Britons with symptoms of dengue who have been in an area where the disease is prevalent are advised to contact their GP or NHS 111 to make an urgent appointment.