17-year-old Francisco didn’t appreciate how serious dengue symptoms could be
17-year-old Francisco from Argentina began feeling unwell whilst watching a football match with his brother. By the time the game was over, he began to experience symptoms which included a high temperature and noticed a rash. The next day, he began vomiting and was admitted to hospital with dengue fever. Francisco’s father Alejandro describes his ‘deep sense of worry’ for his child, as he didn’t know how the situation would develop. After a few days, Francisco began to recover from his dengue symptoms and was discharged from hospital. But his ‘life changed’, and, following his unusual experience with dengue, he was unable to return to school with the other children for nearly six weeks. Although only around 5% of people with dengue fever develop severe dengue,1 Francisco admits he didn’t appreciate how serious dengue symptoms in children can be and urges others to protect themselves from this mosquito-borne disease.
This video features real individuals sharing their experiences with dengue. The video reflects a patient’s specific experience and is not intended to represent those of a typical patient. Given the nature of dengue, symptoms and experiences will vary.
Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/hcp/clinical-signs/ Accessed November 2024.
It’s time to talk about dengue
With dengue cases rising and no specific cure available, prevention is key1,2
Learn how to help protect yourself from mosquito bites and from dengue.
Contact your local health expert to talk about how to help prevent dengue.
- World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue. Accessed February 2024.
- World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2023-DON498#. Accessed February 2024.
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