Gina Donner, 26, contracted the illness during her dream birthday trip in the Maldives
A woman who thought she was suffering from the flu discovered she had actually contracted a potentially lethal tropical disease during her dream birthday trip to the Maldives. Gina Donner, 26, grew worried when she began to notice redness, bouts of dizziness and bruising on her body.
She decided to cut her island getaway short and made a pit stop in Dubai to consult a doctor, who she said dismissed her symptoms as merely flu-related. However, upon returning home, she received a diagnosis of dengue – an infection transmitted by mosquitoes.
The illness left Gina unable to walk unaided for several weeks post-hospitalisation. Even after 18 months, she continues to battle constant fatigue and weakness.
Gina, an online marketer, said: “The Maldives was supposed to be my dream birthday trip. It started out so well, we had stunning views, everything looked so dreamy.
“Then the weather started to change, and I started getting joint pain, and turning red. We decided to cut the trip short and flew to Dubai. As soon as we were in Dubai I got really sick. I felt dizzy, I could barely stand up, it felt like a really bad flu.
“Doctors tested me for dengue, but it came back negative, so I flew back to Germany. When I got home, I had red patches all over my body and blue bruises all over my legs. I went to the hospital, and they said the doctors in Dubai got it wrong, and I did have dengue.
“They said that my condition was really bad, but that they couldn’t do anything besides giving me painkillers. I spent 10 days in the hospital, and it was three weeks before I could walk properly again.
“Before dengue, I worked out almost every day, and after dengue, I couldn’t even walk for 10 minutes by myself without getting sick and dizzy. It’s been almost two years, and my body is still so weak that I can’t work anymore.”
Gina and her mum set off for the Maldives in May 2024, embarking on what was meant to be their dream joint birthday getaway. Initially, the holiday couldn’t have been better, with the pair basking in the luxury of a villa boasting a private pool, breathtaking scenery and an array of activities including tennis and jet skiing.
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Yet, several days into their 11-day escape, the skies turned ominously grey and overcast, with rain beginning to fall. “This was my dream trip, so I was pretty bummed about the weather,” Gina, from Leipzig, Germany, said.
And Gina’s luck changed even further when she started to get joint pain and began to turn red. “My mum told me to use sun cream as I looked like a tomato, but I was using the sun cream the entire time,” she said.
As the dreary weather persisted, Gina’s condition continued to deteriorate. By the sixth day of their stay, she was struck by an overwhelming sensation of heat and dizziness.
Initially brushing it off as sunstroke, Gina’s worsening state forced her hand. She made the difficult decision to abandon their holiday early, flying with her mum to Dubai – the halfway point between the Maldives and their home in Germany.
Gina arranged for a doctor to visit her hotel room, who examined her for various illnesses, including dengue, but Gina said she determined she simply had the flu and prescribed medication sufficient for her journey home.
Upon returning to Germany, Gina’s condition worsened, prompting another medical consultation. Fortunately, her GP specialised in tropical diseases and immediately referred Gina to the hospital.
Medical staff reviewed the documentation from her Dubai hospital visit and confirmed the initial diagnosis had been incorrect – she had been suffering from dengue all along.
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne infection, with symptoms that include joint pain, severe headaches and a blotchy rash. No specific treatment exists for dengue, with most patients recovering on their own within 10 days, though it can prove fatal in certain severe instances.
Gina spent 10 days in the hospital, with doctors recommending an extended stay given the serious nature of her condition. She added: “Because there’s no treatment for dengue, I thought staying in the hospital was pointless, so I decided to go home to be with my family,” she said.
After returning home from the hospital, Gina had to undergo regular check-ups with the doctor and was told that it would be around three weeks before she could walk normally by herself.
“I’d never heard of people getting dengue in the Maldives before, and the hotel didn’t say anything to us about being careful of mosquitoes,” she said. “I would advise anyone going to the Maldives to make sure to protect themselves from mosquitoes, with bug spray and nets.”
Thankfully, Gina is slowly starting to feel better and has been exploring some herbal remedies recommended by people in countries where dengue is prevalent.
