Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Dengue Fever Epidemic

Travelwiser13

By Travelwiser13,
in Ask a Cruise Question

Recommended Posts

Travelwiser13

Travelwiser13

Posted
Posted

The CDC has issued a Travel advisory for several areas, specifically Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, South America and off the top of my head I can't recall now the other locations. It seems they are suffering epidemic proportions of Dengue Fever.:eek:

 

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentDengueTropicalSubTropical.aspx

 

 

My question to you all is this: will this make you think twice in booking or canceling/changing you trips? I am currently booked and I know it is making be think twice but just not sure if it's something I would want to cancel over or not just yet.:( Opinions please??:confused:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ab0si

ab0si

Posted
Posted

There have been major outbreaks on various Indonesian island.

 

Also, "South America" is quite a bit too far reaching a designation. Teh southern portion of Sout America and the Andes are completely inhospitalbe to the carrier.

 

To answer your question, no it is not changing my plans -- cruise or other travel. I will be traveling through the Canal in November and early next year I am off the Egypt and India.

 

DEET is a reasonably effective preventative -- note that anything over 50% does NOT increase effectiveness -- only skin rashes. :)

 

Paul

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Are we there yet?

Are we there yet?

Posted
Posted

Currently, an outbreak of dengue is being reported in French Polynesia and Palau in the South Pacific.

 

This is from the article you posted and guess where we are going next May?

 

No it will not change our plans.......we are healthy, middle aged and are taking repellent so are not worried. I'm more worried about the plane crashing!:eek:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Silvery Seas Cruiser

Silvery Seas Cruiser

Posted
Posted
Hey we lose over 40,000 people a year drivng and I keep doing it so a little fever isn't going to stop me.

 

I had dengue fever in the Philippines in the 1980s and can say that the affliction is far from a "little fever." In fact, it is the sickest I have ever been in 64 years. At first you think you have malaria because you get such a high fever and sweat once or twice a day unlike anything you ever experienced. I would sweat our king size bed soaking wet.

 

Every bone you have aches. You have terrible night mares. You cannot eat or drink. You are prostrate and cannot move from your bed or sit up. Your head aches. Your ears ache. You have no strength. After a few days, you become quite depressed. You will lose more weight in a two-week period than you thought possible.

 

The disease came over me in about fifteen minutes. I had gone to lunch, had a great time. Came home, sat down on the bed, felt tired and in fifteen minutes I was flat on my back, boiling hot, sweating, aching, barely able to speak. Soon I had lots of little red pin point marks on my arms.

 

It took me weeks to regain my strength.

 

There are about three main types of dengue. Though it is said catching it confers immunity, it confers immunity only to the specific type you catch. You can still catch the other types. The hemorraghic type of dengue can be fatal.

 

ANother name for dengue is breakbone fever. There is a good reason for that. You do feel as if you have broken bones. You feel as if you have been beaten.

 

One last caveat. Dengue is especially dangerous for children.

 

The mosquitoes that carry dengue are said to bite at dawn and dusk. Be very careful at those times if there is a dengue outbreak where you are traveling. Some countries spray for the mosquitoes that carry it. Both Venezuela and the Philippines do spray for it, but I still caught it.

 

Mosquitoes that carry dengue have legs with horizontal stripes that look like a child's long stockings.

 

Do not take dengue fever lightly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Philip217

Philip217

Posted
Posted

More Americans were killed in Riding Lawn Mower accidents last year in America than the total number of people - Worldwide - who died from Dengue Fever last year.

 

Far more Americans died from gunshot wounds last year in America than the total number of people - Worldwide - who died from Dengue Fever last year.

 

Far more Americans died in Auto accidents last year in America than the total number of people - Worldwide - who died from Dengue Fever last year.

 

You might want to re-think your options and take a nice, safe and relaxing cruise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Cruise Cat

Cruise Cat

Posted
Posted

It has been on the rise in Puerto Rico and the caribbean for several years. The advisory for Puerto Rico has been in place for years and they have a monitoring program specifically for the island. St. Thomas has seen an increase this year.

 

From what I read a few months back, there were strong spraying programs in place all over a few decades ago that really pinned it back; but they have wained and it has made a comeback. Another factor in their comeback is that the sprayings are 'nicer' now (no DDT).

 

Bring and wear some good insect repellent. Children and the ederly should be especially cautious.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
PennyAgain

PennyAgain

Posted
Posted

My husband got Dengue Fever in 1977 in Martinique. We were at Club Med at the time. I barely got him back to Miami as he was really too sick to fly. 33 at the time, he never completely regained his health after that.

 

As the person said a couple posts above this one, it is no slight fever.

 

When I finally got him to an American hospital, he stayed there for nearly 4 weeks. Yes, he had complications. Damage to his kidneys, hearing and vision as well as problems that have given him a lifetime of aches and pains.

 

Our bedroom in Martinique didn't have window screens. Do I need to say more?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Silvery Seas Cruiser

Silvery Seas Cruiser

Posted
Posted

There is a difference between the odds of being killed by dengue and the odds of catching dengue. The odds of catching one of the types of dengue are considerably higher than the odds that you will die from it unless you are a child or someone in poor health to begin with.

 

Also, in a place such as Indianapolis, IN, the odds of even catching dengue are almost zero. However, if you travel to a place that is having an outbreak of dengue, your odds are considerably greater. You can't really go by worldwide odds, because in Alaska your odds are zero, but in Manila your odds certainly put you in the realm of possibility if you are there in the season the mosquitos are biting.

 

Another example. What are the odds that someone who cruises three times a year will catch noro-virus on a cruise? Pretty small given the worldwide incidence of noro-virus on cruise ships. Yet I did catch noro-virus on the last cruise. So just because more people die on lawn mowers does not provide immunity from dengue to those who happen to be in a place where dengue is active. Of course, you probably won't catch it anyway, but the simple precaution of using an insect repellent will help make sure you don't catch it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
agru

agru

Posted
Posted

Well, now it might be a good idea to take a cruise to get AWAY from Dengue Fever: http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=9d788fb3-4890-402e-9112-29fc9fbef751

 

Apparently there's a breakout (24 cases so far) of Dengue Fever being reported in Brownsville, TX. OY! :eek:

 

I just figure I can't worry about everything and make sure I do things I really want to do, rather than waiting for "the right time."

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SUN TURNIP

SUN TURNIP

Posted
Posted
The CDC has issued a Travel advisory for several areas, specifically Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, South America and off the top of my head I can't recall now the other locations. It seems they are suffering epidemic proportions of Dengue Fever.:eek:

 

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentDengueTropicalSubTropical.aspx

 

 

My question to you all is this: will this make you think twice in booking or canceling/changing you trips? I am currently booked and I know it is making be think twice but just not sure if it's something I would want to cancel over or not just yet.:( Opinions please??:confused:

 

My mom currently has Rocky Mountain Spotted Tick Fever, the doctor told her than less than 800 people in the US get this a year. So my answer to your question is no, we are still planning our cruise for October she will hopefully be better by then!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Sprocket

Sprocket

Posted
Posted

I contracted West Nile during an E. Caribbean Cruise in 2003. I also tested positive for Dengue Fever and St. Louis encephalitis, I hope never to be as sick again as I was during that time. Nobody knew for sure what I had, and I was nearly comatose by the time I was admitted to hospital.

 

It took several months to get the results back from the blood tests, as I apparently repeatedly refused to have a spinal tap done. My Dr. told me later I was lucky to survive. I still have a few lingering problems, but they are manageable.

 

Did it stop me? No, I have been on 3 cruises since and last year I went to the W.Caribbean.

 

But I do wish I would have thought to pack bug spray, although I never did see the one that bit me:eek: :eek:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...