A dance teacher has described how she suffered excruciating pain and coughed up blood after contracting dengue fever during a 10-day trip to Bali.
Sydney Woman ANjana Chandran, 30, and her partner set off for the idyllic island holiday in On July 8th I attended a friend’s wedding and returned on July 18th.
‘I was being so careful, I was “I used to brush my teeth with bottled water and only eat at places where the ratings were really good, but I still got caught,” Chandran told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday.
According to the World Health Organization, dengue is a virus that is transmitted from mosquitoes to people and can, in rare cases, be fatal.
“It’s strange because I didn’t actually see any mosquito bites,” Chandran said.
‘Other people complained a little more, but it was a really nice resort, we stayed in air conditioned rooms and I always used bug spray.
“It’s very frustrating. Everyone else who was at the hotel for the wedding was fine.”
Ms Chandran said she initially only felt chills and muscle aches, which she dismissed as a hangover, but after a few days she was left “crying in bed” with agonising pain throughout her body.
He ended up in the emergency room after bleeding when he went to the bathroom.
Anjana Chandran, 30, and her partner left for Bali on July 8 to attend a friend’s wedding and returned on July 18.
Ms Chandran said she and her partner landed in Seminyak, on the island’s south coast near the capital Denpasar, and then went to Kuta.
‘The wedding was the only reason we were going, which is why it was such a short trip.
‘We stayed in Seminyak for two days and then went to the wedding for about four days, where we stayed at a resort that seemed nice.
She explained that after the wedding the group booked a villa about 20 minutes away and it was there that she began experiencing symptoms.
‘Was around the 14th. At first I was tired and thought, “We’ve had a lot of weddings, where there was a lot of drinking and dancing.” Then I thought, “Look, it’s probably just that.”
‘Then I felt a bit more feverish, no cold or flu, but I did have muscle aches and my friends said, “Go rest, sleep, take some Panadol,” so I took them with some food.’
‘But that night I had intense chills, sweating, high fever and my body literally felt like someone had knocked me unconscious, like my whole body had been in a fight.
‘We have friends who were doctors with us… I would take Panadol or Nurofen, which I later discovered should not be taken when suffering from dengue.
“I would feel fine for four hoursBut then literally after five hours I would fall back down.
The Sydney dance teacher said that about three weeks later she is still having trouble walking.
Ms Chandran said her partner assured her everything would be fine, so she tried to hold on.
“I was in bed crying and shaking because honestly it was like a really bad pain and he was telling me ‘you’re okay’ so I thought ‘maybe I’m overreacting’.”
‘We were there for The bride and groom and I didn’t want to ruin it for them.o I was just holding it in and the doctors were giving me things like anti-nausea medications to control all the other symptoms.
He said that by July 17 the situation was so serious that he was put on an intravenous drip.
‘They give you vitamins and electrolytes. I thought maybe that would help me and I would feel a lot better because it was the boyfriend’s birthday and I wanted to do something with them.
‘I was able to go with him to a bird park, but I was a couple of meters behind because I couldn’t walk.
‘When I got back to Airbnb, I had very severe stomach cramps and a lot of bruises started appearing on my body as well.
‘The next morning we called a doctor because I couldn’t get up and that was the day of my flight.
‘He took some blood and said he would test it in the lab, but… He then pulled out a rapid dengue test kit.
‘As soon as he did it, it came back positive and he said, ‘They really just give false negatives.’“It’s very unlikely that it would give a false positive,” but they had to confirm it with the laboratory.
Ms Chandara (left) said she took every precaution when she went to Bali, such as brushing her teeth with bottled water and eating at reputable places, but she still got sick.
The doctor then explained to Ms Chandran that dengue has three “phases”, the first of which is body aches, which is why it is also called “breakbone fever”.
The second is when the platelet count in the blood drops very low, which makes the blood thinner and can cause serious complications.
This is followed by a recovery phase where the body fights the virus.
‘After a couple of hours, the blood tests came back and my platelets were at 50 when they should be over 150. So the doctor recommended we go straight to the hospital.
‘I called my family and we also have GPs and she told me that if I felt well enough and healthy enough, I could get on the flight and go straight to the emergency room as soon as I landed.’
He decided to do so because he wanted to receive treatment in an Australian hospital.
‘Once I got on the plane, I noticed there was blood in my stool, there was blood in my urine, and my gums were actively bleeding.
“When I got to Australia I was also coughing up blood.”
After landing at around 6am, he went straight to A&E in Westmead, in Sydney’s west, where his platelets were tested, which had dropped further to 25.
‘It wasn’t until about 12 hours later that I got a bed, they just didn’t have enough rooms.
He spent a week in hospital when he returned to Sydney (pictured) after going straight to the emergency room when the flight landed.
“They gave me an IV while I was in the waiting room and they were monitoring me, doing blood tests and things like that.”
Doctors also gave him a platelet infusion that raised his count to 30.
“I was then in hospital for a week. At one point, they said I was the only active case of dengue in Australia.”
Further blood tests at the hospital revealed that he had two other bacteria present in his blood which doctors said likely came from contaminated food or water.
“They told me that one had typhoid fever.Or they had to wear a mask when they came to see me. I also liked having fewer visitors.
‘My body still hurts a lot. I have trouble walking, but I feel much better.
‘I’m a dance teacher so I teach classes here in Sydney so when I came back I had to cancel two or three workshops.
Ms Chandara said she tried to “hold on” for the couple despite “crying on the bed” and feeling like she had been “beaten”.
They basically told me I couldn’t move my body or do anything that could cause bruising or any type of internal bleeding for a week or two.
‘My GP has just given me the go-ahead to go to the United States on a dance tour.’
Ms Chandran said she feels lucky to be on the mend and her advice to others travelling to Bali would be to be careful of mosquitoes.
Be sure to bring insect repellent.
‘Also Book travel insurance. If my flight had been a day later, I would have had to stay in Bali and go to the hospital there.
TIPS ON DENGUE
Dengue virus infection (commonly known as dengue fever or simply dengue) is caused by viruses that are transmitted through the bite of a mosquito. The mosquito species that usually transmit dengue are Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.
Symptoms often include rash, fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint pain, and fatigue. People also often report abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
While infection with just one of these viruses can cause illness, subsequent exposure to other strains can have more serious health consequences. In these cases, symptoms may also include the presence of blood in the vomit, bleeding gums, and breathing difficulties.
Dengue infection must be confirmed by a blood test, but there are no specific treatments. Most people recover on their own, but staying hydrated is essential.
Dengue is found in about 100 countries.
2023 was one of the worst years on record, but the incidence of dengue continues to rise. In the first four months of 2024, Indonesia reported three times as many dengue cases as in the same period in 2023.
Dengue is transmitted by mosquitoes, but only by certain species (archive image)
Although more than 40 species of Australian mosquitoes are known or suspected to transmit local pathogens, such as Ross River virus, Australia is generally free of local risk of dengue.
While a vaccine is available, it is not recommended for short-term travelers. There are strict eligibility criteria for its use, so it is advisable to consult a health care professional for advice.
For those traveling to Bali or other areas with a risk of dengue, it is recommended to use insect repellent throughout the day.
Loose, light-colored clothing will help prevent mosquito bites (and keep you cool). Covered shoes can also help.
By Cameron Webb, Clinical Associate Professor and Senior Scientist at the University of Sydney Hospital for The Conversation.