Bali’s Busiest Tourist Resorts See Sharp Spike In Dengue Fever Cases

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Bali’s Badung Regency is home to the island’s most popular tourist resorts, Uluwatu, Canggu, and Seminyak, to name but a few.

Right now, this ultra-popular region of the island is seeing a concerning surge in the number of reported cases of dengue fever.

Tourists have been advised to take prevention protocols seriously. 

Badung Regency saw a 100% increase in the number of reported cases of dengue fever in 2024 compared to 2023. This worrying trend also puts Badung Regency as the second-highest dengue fever area in the province.

In 2024, Badung Regency health officials recorded 2,405 cases, and in 2023, just 1,137. This is only the number of cases that were recorded by hospitals, clinics, and health care providers, potentially thousands more mild cases went unreported. 

Shockingly, Gianyar Regency, home to the incredibly popular tourism resort of Ubud, and its surrounding villages, topped the charts for the most amount of dengue fever cases in 2024, seeing 4,478 cases confirmed by medical practitioners. Buleleng Regency in North Bali recorded the third largest amount of cases, with 1,947. 

The Regent of Badung, Nyoman Prasta, who is also about to be inaugurated as the Deputy Governor of Bali, shared his response to the news that his jurisdiction saw a 100% rise in caseloads last year. He stated that he and his teams made ‘maximum effort’ to mitigate the public health risks associated with dengue fever. 

Controversially he also told reporters “For the cases of dengue fever, I’m sorry, it’s not necessarily that the mosquito bit you in Badung, it could be in another place.” Nevertheless, he confirmed that the Badung Regency Government would keep up public health protocols to help curb the rising caseloads. 

Prasta added, “We have given direction to the Health Service (Dinkes) on how dengue does not increase.”

Speaking separately the Head of the Badung Health Service, Dr. Made Padma Puspita, did not deny the seriousness of the situation, especially since dengue fever can be life threatening.

Dr Puspita told reporters “We see that the rain this time is very different from last year. There are many floods and puddles everywhere.”

He confirmed that the Badung Regency Health Service will be increasing its efforts to prevent dengue fever in the region.

Mitigation strategies include fogging in high-risk areas, as well as public health information campaigns focused on the importance of maintaining environmental cleanliness and the dangers of stagnant water in the context of dengue fever risk. 

Dr Puspita shared “In handling DHF, the most important thing is community participation. We can prevent cases in our environment by eradicating mosquito nests (PSN).”

He added, “This step is usually called 3M Plus, namely draining water reservoirs, closing water reservoirs, and recycling various items that have the potential to be used as breeding grounds for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that carry the dengue virus in humans.”

Tourists visiting Bali are advised to take the potential risks of dengue fever seriously and to read up on prevention, and the signs and symptoms to look out for.

As outlined by the World Health Organisation, should an individual be confirmed to have contracted dengue fever, the following protocols should be observed “rest; drink plenty of liquids; use acetaminophen (paracetamol) for pain; avoid non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen and aspirin; and watch for severe symptoms and contact your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any.”

Tourists can help reduce the risk of contracting dengue fever while minimizing the risk of being bitten by mosquitos.

This includes using mosquito repellent, using mosquito coils during the late afternoon, early evening, and throughout the night, wearing loose clothing that covers as much of the skin as possible, and using mosquito nets or mosquito mesh on windows and doors. 

Tourists heading to Bali must take out fully comprehensive medical and travel insurance and be sure to check the complete policy details.

Tourists should ensure that their cover includes support in the event of tropical diseases or viruses such as dengue fever. More information regarding dengue fever can be found on the World Health Organisation website.