"Before having dengue, there were many things I didn’t do, things that would have helped prevent the disease."
This story represents one person's experience with dengue disease. It is important to talk with your doctor if you are experiencing any symptoms that could be dengue disease.
My name is Alfonso, I’m 36 years old, and I live in Guadalajara, Mexico, where I work as an industrial engineer. Back in June 2008, when I was still studying at university, I got dengue.
It was close to the summer season here, and I remember that the first signs came while I was at school. A general feeling of discomfort started to appear, something I wasn’t used to.
During the first one or two days, I felt unwell but kept hoping it would pass. Instead, I started to experience increasingly intense pain and a general sense of weakness in my body that was completely unfamiliar compared to anything I had experienced before. By the third day, I went to see my aunt, who is a doctor. She sent me for a blood test to check my platelet count. When the results came back, they showed low platelets, and that’s when my aunt confirmed that I had dengue.
She also told me something important: because of how dengue is transmitted by mosquitoes, I needed to inform my friends and classmates. We might have been in the same place, and a mosquito that bit me could have bitten them. Then she told me to go home, get into bed, and prepare for several days of discomfort.
When I got home, that’s exactly what happened. It was a time of feeling very unwell. One of the most intense symptoms of dengue I remember was the weakness and body aches, the bone aches. At the worst point, I didn’t even feel like having my eyes open. I couldn’t sleep because of the discomfort and the pain, but at the same time, I couldn’t stay comfortably awake either. It was a difficult experience from every perspective.
It took more than a week before I began to feel fully myself again and returned to my normal life. But after recovering, I wanted to learn more, especially because I discovered something that truly stayed with me: once you’ve had dengue, the second time can be serious.
Before having dengue, there were many things I didn’t do, things that would have helped prevent the disease. Using insect repellent, for example, wasn’t something I worried about. It even seemed unnecessary to me because I didn’t understand it. But after going through the illness, my perspective changed completely. Here in Mexico, having mosquitoes around is common. It’s a fear you live with daily, that at any time, when you least expect it, you might become ill.
Since then, I’ve made an effort to develop habits, for myself and in my home, to help avoid contracting dengue again. I know there will always be circumstances I can’t control, but I also know there are things that are in my power which I try to manage as good as possible.
Experiencing dengue taught me how important prevention truly is. It’s something we all need to explore and take seriously, because even a small action can help reduce the risk of a disease that can change your life in just a few days.
C-ANPROM/INT/QDE/0350 | March 2026
Do you have a dengue story to tell?
Your experience could be the key to helping others understand the impact of dengue. Whether you have been directly affected or have supported someone through it, your story can raise awareness, inspire others, and contribute to the global fight against dengue. Every voice matters, and by sharing your story, you can make a difference.
