A woman who thought she had flu was diagnosed with dengue fever after a dream holiday to the Maldives, leaving her unable to work 18 months later.
Gina Donner, 26, from Leipzig, Germany, travelled to the Maldives with her mother in May 2024 for a joint birthday trip. The holiday started well, with the pair enjoying a villa with a private pool and activities such as tennis and jet skiing. However, after several days, the weather turned cloudy and rainy, and Gina began experiencing joint pain and redness on her skin.
Initially dismissing her symptoms as heat exhaustion, Gina decided to cut the trip short and flew to Dubai. There, a doctor tested her for dengue but said she had flu and gave her medication. Upon returning to Germany, her condition worsened, with red patches and bruises appearing. A tropical disease specialist confirmed she had dengue, a mosquito-borne infection.
Gina spent ten days in hospital and could not walk properly for three weeks. She said: 'Before dengue, I worked out almost every day. After dengue, I couldn't even walk for ten minutes by myself. It's been almost two years, and my body is still so weak that I can't work anymore.'
Dengue fever has no specific treatment, and while most patients recover within ten days, severe cases can be fatal. Gina continues to suffer from persistent weakness and exhaustion.
