Dengue Voices

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. Dengue symptoms are often unnoticeable or mild. Most people get better in 1-2 weeks¹ however, given the nature of dengue, symptoms and experiences will vary.

My family and I live in Brazil, where dengue is an endemic disease. It all started with my father. He is 62 years old and has always seemed to be very healthy, so when he got dengue, it was a shock for us. He was bedridden, which was something I had never seen before. As he began to recover, I fell ill with dengue, and just as I was starting to feel a bit better, my mother got it too.

The symptoms were confusing at first because dengue can feel like a severe flu or virus.

My father noticed rashes and itching, which are characteristic of dengue, and that’s when we sought a diagnosis. I also had terrible symptoms, including intense itching that led to anxiety attacks, something I had never experienced before. Working remotely added to the complexity because it was hard to gauge if I was too ill to work since my bed and workspace were so close. I felt guilty about not working even though I was very unwell.

The impact of dengue went beyond just the physical symptoms.

My mother had an issue with her liver as a result of dengue, but she thankfully recovered. I felt weak for a month, unable to go to the gym and I experienced symptoms similar to anemia. My feet were swollen during the illness. We became more conscious of the future risks of dengue hemorrhagic fever, especially after learning about the increased risk of severe dengue if you’re infected a second time. Despite our efforts to avoid stagnant water and maintain a clean environment to limit potential mosquito breeding grounds, we were still at risk due to the broader community's practices. This highlighted the need for collective action to manage dengue effectively.

This experience developed a greater sense of empathy in me.

I reflected on how challenging dengue must be for the elderly or those with special needs. Additionally, the flood of information from various sources, including social media and messaging apps, made it difficult to discern accurate information. This was particularly challenging for my father, who struggled to differentiate between reliable and unreliable sources.

Dengue is a complex issue that affects public health systems, social structures, and individual well-being. I wanted to share my story to raise awareness and contribute to a collective understanding of the disease's impact.