Tragedy as Aussie boy dies from mosquito bite
A nine-year-old boy from Western Australia has tragically died from dengue fever while on holiday with his family.
Glenn Pulgadas had been on holiday with his parents, Glenn and Ryza, in the Philippines to see extended family when he was bitten by a mosquito.
According to the ABC, the boy began feeling unwell on August 12th and was admitted to hospital.
He was described as being “weak in appearance” with headaches, fever, abdominal pain, vomiting and nose bleeds.
Glenn then went into dengue shock syndrome which typically includes clamminess, a rapid weak pulse and narrowing of pulse pressure.
These symptoms then led to organ failure, with Glenn tragically passing away on August 25th.
The young boy is being remembered as "bright and bubbly" by all who knew him.
“Glenn was a bright, bubbly, young boy who was so full of life and always had a smile on his face,” said family friend Danielle Zarzycki.
Glenn's hometown community of Harvey has launched a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral expenses which has so far reached more than $9000.
One of the top donators, who gave $1,000 to Glenn's family, is local St Anne’s School, where Glenn was a year three student.
Dengue fever is spread via the bite of some species of mosquito.
Three out of four people who contract dengue won’t even get sick, and for those who do the symptoms can be mild and they often recover in a matter of days.
About one in 20 people who become sick with dengue will be hit by a severe form and in the worst cases, the disease can lead to shock, internal bleeding and death.
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