1Cover warns of dengue fever risks

1Cover stated that it is currently handling around “five claims per week”, and advised that travellers should take precautions when headed to dengue fever hotspots.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-transmitted disease. Sensible precautions to avoid contracting it include using insect repellent; wearing long trousers and long-sleeved tops; sleeping under a mosquito net; removing stagnant water sources, including vases of flowers or plants with water trays; and staying inside during sunrise and sunset, when mosquitos are most active.

The company said that “dengue fever outbreaks are occurring globally at higher-than-usual rates”, noting that the Australian government’s Smartraveller website is reporting increased risks at a number of destinations frequented by Australian travellers, such as Bali, Malaysia, Singapore, and Peru.

They added that this is reinforced by figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), which has reported over five million cases of the disease since early 2023 – attributing the increase to the post-pandemic surge in travel and the effect of the El Niño climate pattern.

Dengue fever can be expensive and dangerous

“Contracting dengue fever overseas can have serious implications to both your health and finances,” said Natalie Smith, spokesperson for 1Cover Travel Insurance. “Even in moderate cases, the average cost to treat and assist travellers with dengue fever is about A$7,000.”

She added that while this is the average cost, some dengue cases can result in bills in the tens of thousands.

“We recently assisted a couple in their twenties, both sick with dengue fever, which led to a $20,000 claim,” she continued. “We also had a $52,000 claim involving model Emily Gurr, who had contracted a severe case of dengue fever during her travels throughout Asia. Emily was in hospital for 10 days and had to be air-evacuated back home to Australia for further treatment.”

Smith also warned that while most cases are mild, “at least one in 20 cases can become severe, leading to shock, internal bleeding and even death”.

1Cover also recently reported a 40% uptick in the number of ski-related claims from travellers to Japan.