Australian tourists are being warned to take precautions when traveling to Bali after a dramatic rise in dengue cases was recorded.
An unfortunate Queensland woman shared her diagnosis while hooked up to an intravenous drip in a hospital room in Ubud on the popular Indonesian island.
During her 10-day trip, she wrote that she did not see a single mosquito nor was she bitten, but she still tested positive for dengue, adding that she has been struggling to keep her temperature down.
“Go to Bali,” they said. “It will be fun,” they said,” she wrote in a Facebook group for Bali travelers.
There has been a drastic increase in dengue cases, with one region in Bali reporting a 65 percent increase.
“Thank God for insurance.”
Many travelers have been flooding social media with their own stories of severe pain, uncontrollable vomiting and temperatures exceeding 39 degrees.
There has been a drastic increase in reported cases, with the Bangli Regency region of Bali increasing by 65 percent compared to this time last year.
“I went in March and bought it for my 30th birthday,” a Sydney woman shared.
‘It was horrible, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. The worst thing is the fever and the body aches.’
Another said: “I returned home to Darwin, the same day the fever and rash started all over my body.”
“From the plane, straight to the hospital’s infectious disease isolation ward until they resolved it.”
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection that infects between 100 and 400 million people each year in tropical and subtropical areas.
According to the World Health Organization, most people recover within one to two weeks, but in severe cases it can be fatal.
Mosquitoes that transmit dengue are active during the day, so travelers are urged to protect themselves from bites as much as possible.
Travelers are urged to use caution in affected areas, including wearing clothing that covers as much of the body as possible and using mosquito repellents.
This includes warning tourists to dress in clothing that covers as much of their body as possible and to use mosquito repellents, coils, and vaporizers based on DEET or picaridin.
Mosquito nets are recommended for those who like to sleep during the day, sprayed with insect repellent for added protection.
Local public health measures have currently been implemented across the region, including widespread fumigation in an attempt to kill adult mosquitoes, said Bangli Health Service head I Nyoman Arsana.
About 120 people were diagnosed with dengue in the region last month, but none died.
‘In the first three months of 2024, [we have] We have seen an average of 322 such claims per month,” said Todd Nelson, CEO of insurer Cover-More Australia.
“This indicates a monthly increase in such claims of around 21 percent.”
The most common health-related claims have been for “Bali belly”, respiratory infections and injuries such as surfing accidents, he told Daily Telegraph.
It is recommended that anyone experiencing symptoms of dengue fever consult a doctor.