Typhoid infection hits backpacker on remote island

A British backpacker contracted typhoid fever on a remote Indonesian island after mistaking symptoms for a hangover.

British woman struck down with deadly disease after mistaking symptoms for a bad hangover

Alysha Pyrgotis, a 27 year old from Bradford, says she came down with typhoid fever on Gili Trawangan in June. She initially believed the symptoms were the result of a heavy night, but the sickness quickly worsened with vomiting, extreme diarrhoea, delirium and deep muscle and bone pain. On a small Indonesian island with limited healthcare, she found a local doctor who confirmed a typhoid test. She describes spending her final days abroad in a cramped medical shack hooked to an IV drip and an urgent flight to Bangkok because her visa was nearing expiry.

The ordeal left her shaken and underscores how travel illness can escalate when medical facilities are scarce. She now stresses the importance of handwashing and careful food choices, noting that street food in hot climates can carry hidden risks and that access to clean water and sanitiser matters.

This case highlights how quickly a routine travel ailment can become a life threatening situation when it hits a remote location. It also shows the tension between the desire to keep travelling and the need to seek timely care. Public health lessons emerge: travelers should consider vaccines and basic hygiene as part of pre travel planning, even when destinations feel exotic or safe. The experience also points to gaps in healthcare access for tourists on small islands and the pressure it places on rapid medical decisions and, at times, emergency evacuation.

Highlights

Plan health into every step of the trip, not as an afterthought.