A teacher says she nearly died of suspected dengue fever during a holiday from hell.
Laura Angulo was visiting The Philippines as part of a four-month trip around Southeast Asia when she fell ill on Palawan Island.
The 29-year-old backpacker was initially struck down with “general malaise and fatigue.”
But Laura’s condition quickly deteriorated.
“I remember we were on a beach and I was lying down eating ice cream because I didn’t have the strength to sit up,” Laura, who currently lives on the Gold Coast in Australia, told Need To Know.
“The moment I started vomiting, we decided to go to the doctor, since we knew that in the Philippines, as in many other tropical countries, you can get dengue fever.”
The 29-year-old, originally from Spain, had a blood test, and the results showed “a very low percentage of platelets”.
Laura said, “They told us that this is one of the symptoms of dengue fever and that I probably had it.
“At that moment, I admit I was terrified.
“I called my parents and they asked me to return to Spain.
“But luckily, my sister and cousin were there for me when I needed them.
“Doctors then performed another test on me, which came back negative, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t infected.
“I was able to go back to my hostel, but I had to return over the next three days for further tests to see if my diagnosis had improved, since one of the possible symptoms of dengue is internal bleeding.
“During those three days, the vomiting and diarrhoea worsened, but I didn’t have any other symptoms.
“I was drinking saline and eating small amounts of rice and chicken when my body allowed it.
“On the third day, we had to travel to another island where I felt ill for two or three weeks, and I lost about 1.6 stone (10kg).
“It was never confirmed whether I was actually infected, but my platelet count suggests I was.”
Laura, who has over 50,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok, explained to her social media followers that dengue is a disease transmitted through mosquito bites.
She added: “There are four different strains of the dengue virus, and if you’ve had one of them and become infected again, your risk of severe symptoms increases.
“If you get bitten by two strains of dengue at the same time, internal bleeding and possibly death become more likely.
“But don’t be alarmed; the Philippines is a beautiful country that I highly recommend visiting.
“To prevent something similar from happening, my first recommendation is to go to a vaccination centre and always carry mosquito repellent and basic medicines as well as travel insurance.
“Remember to get informed beforehand, and travel responsibly.”
