Worrying reason why so many Aussie travellers to Bali are coming down sick
Australian tourists are being warned to take precautions when traveling to Bali after a dramatic rise in dengue fever cases was recorded.
An unhappy Queensland woman shared her diagnosis while connected to an IV in a hospital room in Ubud on the popular Indonesian island.
During her ten-day trip, she wrote that she did not see a single mosquito and was not bitten, but still tested positive for dengue fever. She added that she struggled 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 fever cases, with one region in Bali reporting a 65 percent increase
“Thank God for the insurance.”
Many travelers have flooded social media with their own stories of intense pain, uncontrollable vomiting and temperatures over 39 degrees.
There has been a drastic increase in reported cases, with Bali’s Bangli Regency region increasing by 65 percent compared to this time last year.
“I went in March and got it on my 30th birthday,” said a Sydney woman.
‘It was horrible, I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. The worst part is the fever and body aches.”
Another said: ‘When I got home to Darwin the fever and rash all over my body started the same day.’
“Off the plane, straight to the hospital’s infectious disease isolation ward until they sorted it out.”
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral infection that infects 100 to 400 million people annually in tropical and subtropical regions.
According to the World Health Organization, most people recover within one or two weeks, but in severe cases it can be fatal.
The mosquitoes that spread dengue are active during the day, so travelers are urged to protect themselves as best as possible against bites.
Travelers are urged to exercise caution in the affected areas, by wearing clothing that covers as much of your body as possible and wearing mosquito repellent
This includes warning tourists to wear clothing that covers as much of their body as possible, and using DEET or picaridin-based mosquito repellents, coils and vaporizers.
For those who like to sleep during the day, mosquito nets are recommended. The nets are sprayed with insect repellent for extra protection.
Local media have now implemented public health measures across the region, including widespread spraying in an attempt to kill adult mosquitoes, Bangli Health Service boss I Nyoman Arsana said.
About 120 people have been diagnosed with dengue fever in the past month, but no one has died.
‘In the first three months of 2024 [we have] I 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 these damage types of about 21 percent.’
The most common health-related claims involve ‘Bali belly’, respiratory infections and injuries such as surfing accidents, he told the Daily telegram.
Anyone showing symptoms of dengue fever is advised to seek medical advice.