Dengue fever in Bali: not just a myth
Many times before on travel message boards I have read that there is no malaria or dengue fever in Bali, although here in Bali I have met the odd local who claims to have suffered from one of them. While there is not a tremendous risk to tourists who are here on short-term vacations it is worth mentioning that it does exist, just to be fair. I have lived in Bali for over 2 years and have been bitten by mosquitoes on a daily basis, sometimes multiple times a day. This is normal and so far I have not had any ill effects.
A recent article in the Bali Advertiser points to 2 deaths from dengue in Bali. Both the deaths were local kids, one from Tuban next to the airport and the other from an undisclosed location. The article said one of the victims suffered a fever for 3 days at home and after being transferred to Sanglah hospital died after another 3 days. Dengue fever is characterized by fever and bone pains. It is transferred by the garden mosquito, according to the article. I the winter months here (April-October) there seems to be more mosquitoes around in my opinion. This could be because the amount of water trickling through is enough to allow them to breed, but not enough to create a flow. During the rainy season rivers, streams and rice fields are getting flooded and maybe this makes life hard on mosquitoes.
If you are coming to Bali I wouldn't worry too much. Many hotels smoke out their gardens every couple of days to keep mosquitoes away.
If you are planing to come to Bali make sure you pick up some travel insurance to cover yourself incase of accidient or medical emergency. Its more affordable than you think and I myself am on a plan.
By Nick | Permalink
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Comments
Yeah I agree. For anyone who hasn’t been to the tropics, mosquitoes like dark places and the color black. They congregate on the outside of my bbq in the daytime because of the color and hide out under any surface with a shadow. Garbage and motorbike helmets are 2 of their favourite places.
We met a South African woman who works for an importer, she had gotten Dengue fever on one of her trips to Bali, stayed for quite a while in the hospital and completely recovered. It didn’t keep her away. She is in Ubud every three months, picking up all the carvings to ship back to South Africa. In fact you may find this of some interest, her boss started coming to Bali nearly twenty years ago & he is the one that started them carving all of the “african things”, you know the stylized cats & giraffes etc., their company keeps all kinds of families in Bali busy producing for them so that they can sell “african stuff ” to the tourists in africa. I wish that I had gotten more information from her but at the time of our first trip, I just thought that she was very colonial & didn’t really like her attitude about the locals.
It seems that mosquitos are everyone’s problem, even here in Austin, Texas. I can’t stay too long around the outside my own house (on the drive way or yard)lest I get bitten by those pesky bugs. Funny though, I could not find any pool of still water around my house.
FYI, I enjoy your writings alot. You seem to be one happy, carefree bloke (did I say it right?).
Terima kasih.
Link Exchange Requested.
Hi
My thirteen year old son and I have just come out of hospital this morning where we’ve been for 8 days with dengue. I cannot praise the local nurses and doctors enough, another Australian woman was there also with dengue. It’s been a tough week but we’ve survived it. We love Bali and plan to keep coming back.
Great work on your blog
cheers simon palomares
I have just returned from 15 days in Bali and am recovering from my second bout of dengue in 2 yrs.The first time I gort it in Surabaya.Believe me it’s not very pleaseant.I collapsed on the plane coming home and was super cautious using repellant and zappers in the room.I wont be returning, way too risky for me.
Cheers
Sue
Well Nick, I actually didn’t see any mosquito while in Bali, but then again, I’m kind of a natural mosquito repellent… last year in the meddle of the jungle in Mexico, even the locals complained about some imaginary mosquito’s.
It doesn’t really look to bad, considering the amount of garbage that accumulates in the rivers, I’m surprised health problems aren’t a big issue down there! Just passing next to the any given river bridge around Kuta area, I saw a great deal of mosquito paradises, places they could really call home and haply multiply.