Latest news with #Alysha
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Health
- The Irish Sun
I thought my traveller's tummy was just a hangover but I could have died of a bug that kills 100,000 every year
Find out the symptoms of the killer bug below BUG BEAR I thought my traveller's tummy was just a hangover but I could have died of a bug that kills 100,000 every year A SPONTANEOUS trip around South East Asia took an unfortunate turn for Alysha Pyrgotis when she was left vomiting and with "extreme diarrhoea". A post-party hangover turned out to be a deadly infection which kills more than 100,000 people every year. 5 Alysha Pyrgotis was travelling South East Asia when she was struck down with the illness Credit: SWNS 5 She was on the remote Indonesian party island of Gili Trawangan at the time Credit: SWNS Alysha, 27, was on the remote Indonesian party island of Gili Trawangan in June this year when she suffered the frightening symptoms. She said: "I was bed bound, in a lot of pain with my muscles and my bones. I was a bit delirious. "I couldn't concentrate at all, that's when I started to panic. "The guy I was travelling with at the time started to realise I was quite poorly, I wasn't hungover. "He spoke to the person at the hostel and we had a look online, there weren't any hospitals or anything. "I was on a very small island, there wasn't really healthcare, it was just really unlucky that I was there at the time." A local doctor came out to visit Alysha and tested her blood to discover she had typhoid - a bacterial infection which can kill one in five of those infected if they do not get treatment. The backpacker, from Bradford, West Yorks., believes she caught the infection from something she ate. She said: "I thought I was going to die, to be honest. It was that bad, I was literally like 'this is it'. "I was so annoyed as I was so close to the end of my trip. I'd been ill before, but not that ill before. Tropical virus turned out ot be brain tumour "I was really worried about telling my family - I didn't tell them, actually, because they were having a lot of stress at work at the time. I didn't tell them until after I'd been poorly. "I just thought it was not going to end well for me. I was panicking as I knew I had to leave the country soon, I was really, really scared." Alysha added: "It was just like my body didn't want anything inside it, it was trying to get rid of everything. "I didn't eat anything for the whole time I was really ill - probably five or six days. "Even water, I would sip water and it would come straight back up. I just thought it was not going to end well for me Alysha Pyrgotis "It was a very, very extreme sickness." After six days on a drip in a small, cramped medical shack, Alysha received a negative typhoid test and had to get out of the country. She said: "I had to get out of Indonesia because my visa would run out. I'd spent almost my whole time in Indonesia being sick. "I had to get out, I had a flight to Thailand. "They took me off the drip and the next day I had to fly to Bangkok. "I still was very sick, the flight was horrific. "Even the next few days in Bangkok were very difficult, I couldn't do anything. "The lasting effects of it were still a couple of weeks of not feeling quite right." Symptoms of typhoid fever SYMPTOMS of typhoid fever usually begin within three weeks of being infected but sometimes can take up to six weeks to appear. They can include: high temperature, which may slowly get worse over a few days headache coughing chills, aches and pains feeling tired or sick not pooing as often as normal or finding it hard to poo (constipation) not feeling hungry Tummy ache and diarrhoea are also common, but these usually happen after the other symptoms. Some people also get a rash of light-pink spots, usually on the upper body. This can be hard to see on black or brown skin. If typhoid fever isn't treated, it can lead to serious problems like internal bleeding or an infection in the lining of the tummy (peritonitis). If you suspect you have typhoid fever you should immediately seek medical attention from your GP or by going to the nearest A&E department. It's crucial to inform the doctor about any recent travel, as typhoid is often contracted abroad. Source: NHS The former social media marketing executive was in the middle of a seven-and-a-half-month trip abroad when she came down with the fever. Following a breakup, Alysha made the spontaneous decision to fly out to south Thailand in December 2024. She then visited Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and the Philippines before going to Indonesia. Now, she's urging anyone who visits these countries to ensure they wash their hands and watch what they eat. Alysha said: "I'm not going to say 'nobody pet the stray animals', because that's one of my favourite parts of travelling. "I think washing your hands is really important afterwards, because that's something I really didn't do. "I was in the middle of nowhere petting stray animals and then going about my day for hours and hours without access to any water to wash my hands in, I didn't bring any sanitiser either. "I think general hand washing, being careful with what you eat out there. "A lot of street food you eat isn't kept in clean conditions, it's in a hot country on the street. "Chicken is sat out for hours and the cleaning utensils are probably not cleaned to the standard you would in the west. "I just wasn't careful where I ordered my food from. "I was just eating everything that looked good and smelled good at the time - and that's probably not the wisest thing to do." 5 Alysha initially thought she had a hungover until her symptoms became more severe Credit: SWNS 5 A local doctor tested her blood and told her she had typhoid - which is spread through unclean food or water Credit: SWNS 5 She's now urging others travelling to similar countries to regularly wash their hands and be careful what they eat Credit: SWNS According to the NHS, typhoid fever is spread through unclean food or water. If left untreated it can be fatal due to severe complications like intestinal perforation, internal bleeding, or sepsis. Those travelling in areas where there's a risk of catching it are advised by the health agency to get a vaccination against the illness. Treatment is through antibiotics. But some people who recover from the disease can become carriers who can still spread it for months or even years after. The NHS says regularly washing your hands with soap and warm water, or using sanitiser gel if they're unavailable, as well as using bottled or boiled water and eating thoroughly cooked foods can help to prevent catching or spreading the infection. And you should avoid having ice in drinks and eating raw or lightly cooked meat or seafood and unwashed salad. Dairy products made from unpasteurised milk and food that has been left uncovered can also pose a risk. Typhoid vaccines are recommended for anyone age over one year old when travelling to an area where there is a high risk of catching typhoid. Travellers should try to see a GP six to eight weeks before travelling. The vaccine lasts for three years and comes as an injection or tablets.
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
I thought my traveller's tummy was just a hangover but I could have died of a bug that kills 100,000 every year
Find out the symptoms of the killer bug below BUG BEAR I thought my traveller's tummy was just a hangover but I could have died of a bug that kills 100,000 every year Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SPONTANEOUS trip around South East Asia took an unfortunate turn for Alysha Pyrgotis when she was left vomiting and with "extreme diarrhoea". A post-party hangover turned out to be a deadly infection which kills more than 100,000 people every year. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Alysha Pyrgotis was travelling South East Asia when she was struck down with the illness Credit: SWNS 5 She was on the remote Indonesian party island of Gili Trawangan at the time Credit: SWNS Alysha, 27, was on the remote Indonesian party island of Gili Trawangan in June this year when she suffered the frightening symptoms. She said: "I was bed bound, in a lot of pain with my muscles and my bones. I was a bit delirious. "I couldn't concentrate at all, that's when I started to panic. "The guy I was travelling with at the time started to realise I was quite poorly, I wasn't hungover. "He spoke to the person at the hostel and we had a look online, there weren't any hospitals or anything. "I was on a very small island, there wasn't really healthcare, it was just really unlucky that I was there at the time." A local doctor came out to visit Alysha and tested her blood to discover she had typhoid - a bacterial infection which can kill one in five of those infected if they do not get treatment. The backpacker, from Bradford, West Yorks., believes she caught the infection from something she ate. She said: "I thought I was going to die, to be honest. It was that bad, I was literally like 'this is it'. "I was so annoyed as I was so close to the end of my trip. I'd been ill before, but not that ill before. Tropical virus turned out ot be brain tumour "I was really worried about telling my family - I didn't tell them, actually, because they were having a lot of stress at work at the time. I didn't tell them until after I'd been poorly. "I just thought it was not going to end well for me. I was panicking as I knew I had to leave the country soon, I was really, really scared." Alysha added: "It was just like my body didn't want anything inside it, it was trying to get rid of everything. "I didn't eat anything for the whole time I was really ill - probably five or six days. "Even water, I would sip water and it would come straight back up. I just thought it was not going to end well for me Alysha Pyrgotis "It was a very, very extreme sickness." After six days on a drip in a small, cramped medical shack, Alysha received a negative typhoid test and had to get out of the country. She said: "I had to get out of Indonesia because my visa would run out. I'd spent almost my whole time in Indonesia being sick. "I had to get out, I had a flight to Thailand. "They took me off the drip and the next day I had to fly to Bangkok. "I still was very sick, the flight was horrific. "Even the next few days in Bangkok were very difficult, I couldn't do anything. "The lasting effects of it were still a couple of weeks of not feeling quite right." Symptoms of typhoid fever SYMPTOMS of typhoid fever usually begin within three weeks of being infected but sometimes can take up to six weeks to appear. They can include: high temperature, which may slowly get worse over a few days headache coughing chills, aches and pains feeling tired or sick not pooing as often as normal or finding it hard to poo (constipation) not feeling hungry Tummy ache and diarrhoea are also common, but these usually happen after the other symptoms. Some people also get a rash of light-pink spots, usually on the upper body. This can be hard to see on black or brown skin. If typhoid fever isn't treated, it can lead to serious problems like internal bleeding or an infection in the lining of the tummy (peritonitis). If you suspect you have typhoid fever you should immediately seek medical attention from your GP or by going to the nearest A&E department. It's crucial to inform the doctor about any recent travel, as typhoid is often contracted abroad. Source: NHS The former social media marketing executive was in the middle of a seven-and-a-half-month trip abroad when she came down with the fever. Following a breakup, Alysha made the spontaneous decision to fly out to south Thailand in December 2024. She then visited Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and the Philippines before going to Indonesia. Now, she's urging anyone who visits these countries to ensure they wash their hands and watch what they eat. Alysha said: "I'm not going to say 'nobody pet the stray animals', because that's one of my favourite parts of travelling. "I think washing your hands is really important afterwards, because that's something I really didn't do. "I was in the middle of nowhere petting stray animals and then going about my day for hours and hours without access to any water to wash my hands in, I didn't bring any sanitiser either. "I think general hand washing, being careful with what you eat out there. "A lot of street food you eat isn't kept in clean conditions, it's in a hot country on the street. "Chicken is sat out for hours and the cleaning utensils are probably not cleaned to the standard you would in the west. "I just wasn't careful where I ordered my food from. "I was just eating everything that looked good and smelled good at the time - and that's probably not the wisest thing to do." 5 Alysha initially thought she had a hungover until her symptoms became more severe Credit: SWNS 5 A local doctor tested her blood and told her she had typhoid - which is spread through unclean food or water Credit: SWNS 5 She's now urging others travelling to similar countries to regularly wash their hands and be careful what they eat Credit: SWNS According to the NHS, typhoid fever is spread through unclean food or water. If left untreated it can be fatal due to severe complications like intestinal perforation, internal bleeding, or sepsis. Those travelling in areas where there's a risk of catching it are advised by the health agency to get a vaccination against the illness. Treatment is through antibiotics. But some people who recover from the disease can become carriers who can still spread it for months or even years after. The NHS says regularly washing your hands with soap and warm water, or using sanitiser gel if they're unavailable, as well as using bottled or boiled water and eating thoroughly cooked foods can help to prevent catching or spreading the infection. And you should avoid having ice in drinks and eating raw or lightly cooked meat or seafood and unwashed salad. Dairy products made from unpasteurised milk and food that has been left uncovered can also pose a risk. Typhoid vaccines are recommended for anyone age over one year old when travelling to an area where there is a high risk of catching typhoid. Travellers should try to see a GP six to eight weeks before travelling. The vaccine lasts for three years and comes as an injection or tablets.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'I thought I had a hangover - it turned out to be a killer infection'
Alysha Pyrgotis, 27, revealed that she thought she was going 'to die' after a night of partying on a remote Indonesian island - the Brit backpacker caught a potentially deadly infection A young British backpacker revealed how her post-party hangover, after a night on the town, turned out to be a deadly infectious disease. Alysha Pyrgotis, 27, said she thought she was going to die after catching typhoid while on a remote Indonesian party island, called Gili Trawangan, in June. The backpacker, from Bradford, said she was left vomiting and with "extreme diarrhoea" before realising she caught a disease that kills nearly 100,000 people every year. Alysha revealed why she was particularly unlucky to have fallen ill on that remote party island and why she "had to leave the country soon". She said: "I was bed bound, in a lot of pain with my muscles and my bones. I was a bit delirious. I couldn't concentrate at all, that's when I started to panic. The guy I was travelling with at the time started to realise I was quite poorly, I wasn't hungover. He spoke to the person at the hostel and we had a look online, there weren't any hospitals or anything." The backpacker explained the small island did not have adequate healthcare so a local doctor had to come out and test her blood. She added: "I was on a very small island, there wasn't really healthcare, it was just really unlucky that I was there at the time." The doctor found Alysha had typhoid - a bacterial infection which can kill one in five of those infected if they do not get treatment. The Brit believes she could have caught the infection from something she ate. She said: "I thought I was going to die, to be honest. It was that bad, I was literally like 'this is it'. I was so annoyed as I was so close to the end of my trip. I'd been ill before, but not that ill before." Alysha revealed why she did not tell her family about the traumatic ordeal she faced while in Indonesia, saying: "I was really worried about telling my family - I didn't tell them, actually, because they were having a lot of stress at work at the time. I didn't tell them until after I'd been poorly. I just thought it was not going to end well for me. I was panicking as I knew I had to leave the country soon, I was really, really scared." The Brit revealed the shocking symptoms she faced while sick with the potentially deadly infection. Alysha added: "It was just like my body didn't want anything inside it, it was trying to get rid of everything. I didn't eat anything for the whole time I was really ill - probably five or six days. "Even water, I would sip water and it would come straight back up. It was a very, very extreme sickness." After six days on a drip in a small, cramped medical shack, Alysha received a negative typhoid test and had to get out of the country. The former social media marketing executive said: "I had to get out of Indonesia because my visa would run out. I'd spent almost my whole time in Indonesia being sick. I had to get out, I had a flight to Thailand. "They took me off the drip and the next day I had to fly to Bangkok. I still was very sick, the flight was horrific. Even the next few days in Bangkok were very difficult, I couldn't do anything. The lasting effects of it were still a couple of weeks of not feeling quite right." Alysha was in the middle of a seven-and-a-half-month trip abroad when she came down with the fever. Following a breakup, she made the spontaneous decision to fly out to south Thailand in December 2024. The Brit then visited Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and the Philippines before going to Indonesia. The backpacker is now urging anyone who visits these countries to ensure they wash their hands and watch what they eat. Alysha said: "I'm not going to say 'nobody pet the stray animals', because that's one of my favourite parts of travelling. I think washing your hands is really important afterwards, because that's something I really didn't do. I was in the middle of nowhere petting stray animals and then going about my day for hours and hours without access to any water to wash my hands in, I didn't bring any sanitiser either." She also urged people to be careful of what the eat, saying: "A lot of street food you eat isn't kept in clean conditions, it's in a hot country on the street." She added: "I just wasn't careful where I ordered my food from. I was just eating everything that looked good and smelled good at the time - and that's probably not the wisest thing to do." According to the NHS, typhoid fever is spread through unclean food or water and symptoms include high temperature, headache, coughing, chills, aches, pains, feeling tired, constipation, and a lack of hunger. Those travelling in areas where there's a risk of catching it are advised by the health agency to get a vaccination against the illness. Travellers should try to see a GP six to eight weeks before travelling. The vaccine lasts for three years and comes as an injection or tablets.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'I went on holiday and caught a disease that kills 100,000 a year'
Alysha, 27, thought she had a hangover - but i turned out to be a deadly infection from food or animals A backpacker has told how her post-party hangover turned out to be a deadly infection which kills over 100,000 people every year. Alysha Pyrgotis, 27, was left vomiting and with 'extreme diarrhoea' after catching typhoid on the remote Indonesian party island of Gili Trawangan in June this year. She said: 'I was bed bound, in a lot of pain with my muscles and my bones. I was a bit delirious. I couldn't concentrate at all, that's when I started to panic. The guy I was travelling with at the time started to realise I was quite poorly, I wasn't hungover. 'He spoke to the person at the hostel and we had a look online, there weren't any hospitals or anything. I was on a very small island, there wasn't really healthcare, it was just really unlucky that I was there at the time.' A local doctor came out to visit Alysha and tested her blood to find she had typhoid – a bacterial infection which can kill one in five of those infected if they do not get treatment. The backpacker, from Bradford, believes she could have caught the infection from something she ate. She said: 'I thought I was going to die, to be honest. It was that bad, I was literally like 'this is it'. I was so annoyed as I was so close to the end of my trip. I'd been ill before, but not that ill before. I was really worried about telling my family – I didn't tell them, actually, because they were having a lot of stress at work at the time. I didn't tell them until after I'd been poorly. 'I just thought it was not going to end well for me. I was panicking as I knew I had to leave the country soon, I was really, really scared.' Alysha added: 'It was just like my body didn't want anything inside it, it was trying to get rid of everything. I didn't eat anything for the whole time I was really ill – probably five or six days. Even water, I would sip water and it would come straight back up. It was a very, very extreme sickness.' After six days on a drip in a small, cramped medical shack, Alysha received a negative typhoid test and had to get out of the country. She said: 'I had to get out of Indonesia because my visa would run out. I'd spent almost my whole time in Indonesia being sick. 'I had to get out, I had a flight to Thailand. They took me off the drip and the next day I had to fly to Bangkok. I still was very sick, the flight was horrific. Even the next few days in Bangkok were very difficult, I couldn't do anything. The lasting effects of it were still a couple of weeks of not feeling quite right.' The former social media marketing executive was in the middle of a seven-and-a-half-month trip abroad when she came down with the fever. Following a breakup, Alysha made the spontaneous decision to fly out to south Thailand in December 2024. She then visited Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and the Philippines before going to Indonesia. Now, she's urging anyone who visits these countries to ensure they wash their hands - especially around animals - and watch what they eat. Alysha said: 'I'm not going to say 'nobody pet the stray animals', because that's one of my favourite parts of travelling. I think washing your hands is really important afterwards, because that's something I really didn't do. 'I was in the middle of nowhere petting stray animals and then going about my day for hours and hours without access to any water to wash my hands in, I didn't bring any sanitiser either. I think general handwashing, being careful with what you eat out there. 'A lot of street food you eat isn't kept in clean conditions, it's in a hot country on the street. Chicken is sat out for hours and the cleaning utensils are probably not cleaned to the standard you would in the west. I just wasn't careful where I ordered my food from. 'I was just eating everything that looked good and smelled good at the time – and that's probably not the wisest thing to do.' According to the NHS, typhoid fever is spread through unclean food or water. Symptoms include high temperature, headache, coughing, chills, aches, pains, feeling tired, constipation, and a lack of hunger. Those travelling in areas where there's a risk of catching it are advised by the health agency to get a vaccination against the illness. Treatment for people who catch it is through antibiotics. Some people who recover from the disease can become carriers who can still spread it for months or even years after. The NHS says regularly washing your hands with soap and warm water, or using sanitiser gel if they're unavailable, as well as using bottled or boiled water and eating thoroughly cooked foods can help to prevent catching or spreading the infection. The health agency says to avoid having ice in drinks, or eating raw or lightly cooked meat or seafood and unwashed salad. Dairy products made from unpasteurised milk and food that has been left uncovered can also pose a risk. Typhoid vaccines are recommended for anyone age over one year old when travelling to an area where there is a high risk of catching typhoid. Travellers should try to see a GP six to eight weeks before travelling. The vaccine lasts for three years and comes as an injection or tablets.
Daily Mirror
12-08-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'I was left seriously ill on holiday with deadly disease after touching a cat'
Alysha, 26, has warned other people of the dangers after the cat left her unconscious on an IV drip needing urgent care A 26-year-old woman caught a potentially deadly infection while on holiday after she stroked a cat. Alysha, 26, from Leeds, who has asked for her full identity to be kept private, fell seriously ill after catching typhoid while on holiday. Alysha was left unconscious and dangerously dehydrated on a remote island with no hospital access when she suddenly developed symptoms later diagnosed as salmonella and typhoid fever when her illness was triggered after touching and feeding stray cats. In Thailand alone, it's estimated that there are close to a million stray cats and dogs. She said: 'It started with severe aches throughout my whole body, almost like my bones were bruised. Then came the fever – I was violently shivering in 34C heat, then vomiting constantly. I couldn't even keep water down – that's when I knew I needed urgent help.' Alysha was staying on Gili Trawangan, a remote Indonesian island known for its party scene and no-motorbike policy – but also lacking any hospital, pharmacy or emergency medical infrastructure. The hostel staff had to call a doctor directly to Alysha's room because she was too weak to move. She said: 'The first doctor was amazing and kind despite my phobia of needles. But after he left the island, the second one wasn't as kind. He barely spoke English and left me on a drip that was flowing way too fast.' When Alysha stood up to go to the toilet, she passed out, later discovering the IV had been set to release three drips per second, a dangerously high rate that should be monitored by trained professionals. Alysha said: 'I found out later that even one to two drips per second needs constant observation. At that rate, it could have caused a cardiac arrest. It was honestly terrifying.' Despite being severely unwell, Alysha had to catch a flight to Thailand a few days later and received hospital treatment. Though the journey was 'horrific,' she is now on the mend and wants to share her story to highlight the hidden risks of casual animal contact in countries with lower hygiene standards. 'Everyone tells you to avoid dodgy food, but no one warns you that you can catch serious infections just by stroking stray animals. I hadn't even considered what I might catch – but typhoid is no joke.' Shuban Kotwal, Product Director at Away Holidays, is urging UK tourists to take precautions when travelling to high-risk areas: Avoid physical contact with stray animals, no matter how tame or friendly they appear Get vaccinated for typhoid before travelling to regions where sanitation may be limited – this includes much of Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. Take out comprehensive travel insurance that covers emergency medical evacuations Pack a basic first aid kit including rehydration salts, antiseptic, and anti-diarrhoeal medication Seek medical attention immediately if experiencing fever, stomach pain, or dehydration Shuban said: 'While a beautiful holiday destination, many regions remain rural or under-resourced, meaning even minor illnesses can become critical without quick intervention. Alysha's experience is a stark reminder that even low-risk behaviours like petting cats can have dangerous consequences when combined with poor sanitation and a lack of access to professional medical care.' Typhoid fever is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi (S. Typhi). It mainly spreads through the ingestion of food or water contaminated with an infected person's faeces. It causes prolonged fever, weakness, stomach pain, headache, loss of appetite and sometimes a rash. Without treatment, it can lead to intestinal bleeding or perforation, which can be life-threatening - with mortality rates of between 10% and 30%. Some people can have recurring symptoms even after initial recovery and a small number of people become 'chronic carriers,' shedding bacteria for years.
