Pregnant influencer dies of dengue fever after telling pals of worrying symptom

29 March 2024 , 11:48

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Sofia Amorim, 22, died in Goiania, Brazil on March 27 (Image: @sof_amorim/Newsflash)

A 22-year-old beauty blogger who was seven months pregnant has died from the mosquito-borne illness dengue fever.

Influencer Sofia Amorim died on Wednesday after suffering multiple organ failure, despite the best efforts of medics in Goiânia, Brazil, to save her life. Her unborn baby did not survive.

Friends say Sofia, who had been sharing snaps of her baby bump with her followers, had earlier complained of being short of breath. One friend, who asked not to be named, told local media: “She was very short of breath, so they thought it was anxiety. On Tuesday afternoon, they found out it was dengue and went to 'listen' to her lungs. They were full of water. At around 10pm, they had to intubate her."

They added: "The baby had already died in her belly in the early hours of the morning, they didn’t deliver her immediately because her platelets were very low, and she could have lost too much blood. The caesarean section was the last resort to try to save her life."

Sofia Amorim had been sharing pictures of her baby bump online (@sof_amorim/Newsflash)

Sofia first felt unwell on March 22 and she died just five days later, local media reported (@sof_amorim/Newsflash)

Sofia began to feel ill on March 22nd, according to local media reports, and just four days later medics confirmed she had contracted dengue fever. The mosquito-borne illness is a major health concern all over South and Central America.

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There are currently 72,747 confirmed cases of dengue fever in the region according to Brazil's Goias State Department of Health - a massive 257 per cent increase from last year. The deadly illness is caused by a virus transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and is the world's most deadly bug spread to people by insects, according to experts.

Dengue fever is most common in Southeast Asia, the western Pacific islands, Latin America and Africa. But the disease has been spreading to new areas, including local outbreaks in southern Europe.

Mild dengue fever causes a high fever and flu-like symptoms but the severe form of dengue fever, also called dengue hemorrhagic fever, can cause serious bleeding and death. European countries where dengue has been found include Croatia, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal.

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