"What began as a regular holiday quickly turned into an experience we did not expect"
This story represents individual experiences 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 Tommer, I am a history teacher, and in the summer of 2023, my daughter Ismeé and I contracted dengue while traveling as a family in Thailand.
My wife and I travelled throughout Asia twenty years ago, for about a year. We thought it was all very beautiful and cool, so we also wanted to show this to the children.
What began as a regular holiday quickly turned into an experience we did not expect, one that affected not only our health, but our entire family.
It started with Ismeé. During a boat trip, she suddenly developed a headache. Shortly after, she began alternating between feeling very cold and very hot. She started shivering intensely, and her fever rose quickly. We returned to our accommodation and put her to bed, hoping that rest would help and that she would feel better by the next morning.
That same night, I began to feel unwell too. I lost my appetite, and the room felt unusually cold. By the following morning, Ismeé was still not feeling well, although pain medication helped manage her symptoms. I also continued to feel unwell. Because we had to change locations, we continued our trip, but both of us spent most of the day sleeping. As the day went on, our symptoms worsened. The fever increased, diarrhoea began, and neither of us had any appetite.
My wife, Christa, became the support pillar for our family during this time. She went to an international clinic to ask for advice, and the doctor told her we needed to be seen immediately. Blood tests were taken, and the results confirmed dengue. We did not need to be hospitalized, but we were required to return every day for monitoring.
We struggled to eat and had little energy. The fever often returned at night, and I began to feel strong pain throughout my body, all my joints ached. During the worst moments, my wife didn’t know how to help as the symptoms peaked and everything hurt. By the morning, the pain eased, which brought relief to all of us.
“I didn’t know beforehand that you could get so ill and that it could have such an impact. And that caused a lot of anxiety.” - my wife Christa said.
It took around three to four weeks before both Ismeé and I felt fully like ourselves again.
Getting dengue in an unfamiliar country, and with doctors who don’t speak your language, and then also with a daughter who caught it, that is really scary.
Despite the experience, it did not stop us from traveling. What I tell others now is that getting dengue far from home can be frightening, but it doesn’t mean you should avoid traveling to places where dengue is present. Traveling is valuable and enriching, but it’s important to be informed and to take proper precautions.
We took preventative actions, we had mosquito repellent with us, we had long-sleeved clothes too, we really did think about it. We just had bad luck that we still got bitten.
C-ANPROM/INT/QDE/0344 | March 2026
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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.
