TORONTO -- Jeanine Monteiro was back home from her vacation to Cuba for a week when she began to get intense headaches behind her eyes, followed shortly thereafter by strange hallucinations.
The unusual symptoms were the first signs of dengue fever, a potentially deadly disease that has exploded in prevalence in South America and the Caribbean with several tropical countries reporting outbreaks and national health emergencies.
But at the time, Monteiro, 42, thought she might just have the flu. 
Within weeks, her symptoms spiralled out of control. She suffered joint pain and stiffness, and slowly lost her grip on reality. At one point, while in the car with her father after a doctor’s appointment, she struggled to read the pain medication she’d just been prescribed.
“My dad kept saying things to me and I remember saying, ‘Are you speaking English?’ And then I said, ‘What is this in my hand?’ And he said, ‘It’s your medication Jeanine. Don’t you remember?’” Monteiro told CTV News from her home in Cambridge, Ont.
“That’s the last memory I have.”
In the car, Monteiro suffered a seizure and was rushed to the emergency department. Doctors made a shocking discovery: she had suffered multiple organ failures and only had a quarter of her heart function left. She spent 11 days on life support as the medical team tried to figure out the source of her life-threatening condition.
“There was a couple days they weren’t sure I was going to make it,” Monteiro said.
The answer, it turned out, was a dengue-infected mosquito bite during her recent trip to Cuba. Montero was one of more than 560,000 people in North and South America to contract dengue fever in 2018. Those numbers skyrocketed in 2019 to 3.1 million cases – more than five times the previous year’s caseload. The problem is widespread. Argentina is currently reporting a dengue fever outbreak, and emergencies have been declared in Honduras, Brazil, Jamaica and Paraguay. Recently, Paraguay’s president, Mario Abdo Benitez, contracted the virus and was ordered to rest.
But travellers such as Monteiro said they had no idea just how prevalent – and how dangerous – dengue fever could be until they contracted the illness themselves.
“That was my 18th time to Cuba, and I felt very safe going there,” Monteiro said.
Even after she recovered, dengue fever has had a lasting effect on Monteiro’s health. The illness triggered an autoimmune disease, scleroderma, that was lying dormant in her system. She also lives with kidney disease and is unable to work.
“It’s devastated my life,” she said. “Besides losing my career that I worked very hard to have, I was pretty healthy before all of this.”
Last month, Jodie Dicks, a 26-year-old woman from Toronto, contracted dengue fever while attending her friend’s destination wedding in Jamaica. Less than a week later, she suffered multiple heart attacks and died in her mother’s arms in a Florida medical centre.
Dicks’ death has drawn new attention to the disease, for which there is no vaccine available in Canada. CTV News spoke to three survivors who all said that Canadian travellers are not being given enough information about the virus.
When Monteiro learned of the young woman’s death, she said she immediately wanted to reach out to Dicks’ parents and offer her condolences.
“I think they’re feeling the same as me. They’re angry that there was no information about this. There was no preparation or warning,” she said.
“People need to know that this is happening. You might not hear about it often, it might be rare, but it’s happening, and it’s happening in all the most popular vacation spots.”
WHAT IS DENGUE FEVER?
Dengue fever is primarily spread by mosquitos. Symptoms include a sudden high fever, rash, nausea, swollen glands and pain in the bones, joints and eyes.
The federal government says travellers are at risk when travelling to countries where dengue fever is present. According to the World Health Organization, more than 40 per cent of the world’s population lives in areas where dengue can be transmitted.
Travel agents in Canada are encouraged, though not required, to warn travellers of such risks, according to the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies.
But what many people may not know about dengue fever is that the illness is potentially much more dangerous if a person contracts the virus more than once. That means frequent fliers to dengue-affected countries could be at greater risk.
“If you are infected once, you're actually at a set-up for a really bad outcome the second time when you are hit with a different strain,” said infectious diseases specialist Dr. Neil Rau.
Monteiro said that, due to the severity of her illness, there is a “big possibility” that she contracted dengue fever before. On an earlier trip to Jamaica she contracted flu-like symptoms on the third day of the trip and suffered lasting symptoms for weeks. After being prescribed antibiotics, she got better.
“It never occurred to me until I started reading and researching this disease and found out that it’s very possible that I was bitten once before,” she said. “A lightbulb kind of went off.”
It’s a situation Arletta Doroszuk is familiar with. The 50-year-old from Courtice, Ont. travelled to the Bahamas in 2011 and, after a few days of arriving home, suffered from a high fever and severe pain in her hands.
Doroszuk visited her doctor several times and, after the condition worsened, she was eventually tested for dengue fever. The tests came back positive.
Nine years after that trip, she hasn’t travelled south again. She’s afraid of what might happen if she contracts dengue a second time.
“I’m just afraid I might get (the virus again) and I will not be so lucky,” she said.
Her advice for travellers: pack bug repellent and research your travel destination to see if dengue fever is present.
Another woman, Carla Radke from Winnipeg, travelled to the Mexican community of Guayabitos north of Puerto Vallarta for a three-month vacation with her husband. She said her hotel sprayed for mosquitoes, but she still ended up suffering from pain behind her eyes and aching muscles -- both symptoms of the illness.
She was sick for nine days and, over the coming months, lost nearly 100 lbs. She was shocked when she found out she had dengue fever.
“I never thought of dengue. I only thought of Zika. To me, dengue is like an old thing...Zika was newer, and that was on my mind,” she said.
UNDERSTANDING THE RISK
Jodie Dicks’ mother, Christine Boissoin, and stepfather, Randy Boissoin, said they want to make sure that their daughter did not die “in vain.” They are now speaking out in hopes of educating other Canadians about the risks of dengue fever.
They say the government’s warnings are not easy to find, and that not enough travellers are aware of the problem.
“Jodie is not here with us now -- this isn’t a one-off. My Lord, people need the information,” Ryan Boissoin said.
“I would say just look at our story. We have a daughter who didn’t come home, and if you don’t think it isn’t a potential reality, you are sadly mistaken.”

Tobago’s tourism industry is experiencing a momentous breakthrough as the destination recorded the highest increase in international stayover arrivals to the island in nine (9) years. At the end of December 2019, statistics revealed that there were 19,542 international stayover arrivals to Tobago for the year - an 8.2% increase over 2018.
Furthermore, 2020 arrival figures for Tobago already indicate a continued upward trajectory in stayover arrivals for the island, as January 2020 figures show a 21.8% increase over January 2019 - 2,805 stayover arrivals this year as compared to 2,303 last year.
Commenting on the recent milestone in Tobago’s journey to a rejuvenated tourism industry, CEO of the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited, Mr. Louis Lewis, stated:
“The rebranding of Destination Tobago as Tobago Beyond: unspoilt, untouched, undiscovered, as well as a new Go To Market strategy unveiled by the Agency in 2018, was the catalyst for positive performance in Tobago’s tourism sector.
The renewed brand identity has proven to resonate well with trade partners and consumers alike in Tobago’s source markets, and complemented TTAL’s award-winning marketing campaign crafted to create positive impressions of the destination, and convert those impressions to bookings. These successes were only made possible through collaboration with the island’s stakeholders.” The performance of the Canadian market last year was a significant factor in the overall growth recorded. Canada was identified by the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited as one of the new growth markets for destination Tobago in 2017 when the organisation was established.
By December 2018, TTAL successfully negotiated direct airlift from Canada to Tobago for the first time in the island’s history, engaging leisure carrier Sunwing Airlines which was responsible for the majority of Canadian visitors to Tobago in 2019.
Canadian journalists enjoy a trek through the rainforest during a press trip hosted by TTAL from January 30 to February 3, 2020
Negotiating airlift was only the first step in ensuring growth from the Canadian market. In order to stimulate awareness and interest in Tobago, and to create a demand for travel, TTAL worked assiduously to promote destination Tobago in Canada and raise awareness about the available flight options to the destination.
In addition to growth from the Canada market in 2019, Germany stayover arrivals also increased by 12% and arrivals from the UK market saw an increase of 6.7%.
The Tobago Tourism Agency Limited is continuing to build upon the success illustrated in 2019, by ensuring that their strategic marketing efforts continue into 2020 and beyond, complemented by product development initiatives to enhance the on-island experience for visitors. Source: Tobago Tourist Board, Feb 2020

Tourism Minister Randall Mitchell said he was not surprised Pigeon Point was named in the world's 50 best beaches by international monthly magazine Marie Claire.
“The high ranking of Pigeon Point Beach as one of the world’s most exotic and beautiful beaches comes as no surprise to me or to any of us in the tourism sector," he said.
In a recent article on marieclaire.com Pigeon Point was listed eighth in the 50 best beaches in the world, though the article did not state there was a ranking of the beaches. The caption read "Even the palm trees in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago are relaxed."
Mitchell in a message to Newsday said that Pigeon Point is "certainly regarded as the most iconic and beautiful in all of Trinidad and Tobago. And there is more beauty still to behold in the other idyllic, serene, and peaceful beaches in the undiscovered paradise that is Tobago. Englishman’s bay, Back bay, Pirate’s Bay, Speyside, Castara to name a few."
He said together with the Tobago House of Assembly and the Tobago Tourism Agency Government is actively trying to attract more and more visitors to experience the awesome beauty that lies in Tobago.
"To do that means we must work on airlift and offer a welcoming and an uncomplicated business environment to those integrated hotel operators wishing to set up in Tobago.
"Such as Apple Leisure Group and the Sunwing Group who all are integrated with the airlift required to bring visitors to our shores. We are excited by the interest and commitment by those huge tourism players." He added: "It is unfortunate the circumstances of the Sandals withdrawal as they too had a tremendous pulling power to draw visitors to experiences the beautiful paradise that we are fortunate to call home."
The marieclaire.com list included beaches from Florida and California in the US, Greece, Cambodia, Seychelles, Philippines, Indonesia, Mexico, Spain and there were seven other Caribbean beaches: Shoal Bay East, Anguilla; Eagle Beach, Aruba; Harrismith Beach, Barbados; Cas Abao, Curaçao; Seven Mile Beach, Grand Caymans; Reduit Beach, St Lucia; and Trunk Bay, St John, US Virgin Islands.
In July 2017, Pigeon Point Beach was ranked 98 of the world's 100 best beaches by CNN.com. The website said "Pigeon Point is a literal representation of the Caribbean beach ideal, right down to the charming old lady who sells soursop ice cream by the pound" and described the highlight as the thatched-roofed jetty "possibly the most photographed jetty in the world".
Pigeon Point Beach is also rated 4.5 from 1,222 reviews on Tripadvisor.com and number 17 of 174 things to do in Tobago. Source: Newsday, Feb 5, 2020.

​Tobago's magic is captured spectacularly in a three minutes and 10-second film featured on National Geographic.
The video is a result of a collaboration with the Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd (TTAL) and is featured in the latest edition of world renowned National Geographic magazine. It showcases eloquently the countless aspects of Tobago’s unique and jaw-dropping environmental attraction and boldly declares, "There is no comparison to beauty."
Introduced with a quartet of concise but engaging reports the National Geographic writer directs readers to what she describes as the seven most beautiful places in Tobago including Argyle Waterfalls, Flagstaff Hill and Englishman’s Bay. A compulsory expedition through the hiking trails of the world’s oldest protected rainforest to get up close and personal with the hundreds of species of birds and other wildlife must also be on the to-do list of visitors; and as well as lazing on the many beaches highlighted we’re also reminded of watersports and bioluminescence trips to No Man’s Land. Focusing on the island’s recent and longtime cookery influences and the culinary skills which typify dirt oven baking and the many variations of dasheen also entice the traveller tempted by food as part of the rest and relaxation package.
The magazine’s web edition also showcases an impressive promotional film titled Tobago: Full of Life, documenting the island’s many charms and beauty. Narrated by local voices the atmospheric documentary shares panoramic views of both the Caribbean and Atlantic coasts and beaches, together with aerial shots of familiar landmarks and depictions of Tobagonian life.
Viewers are given a snippet of the beauty and lush scenery of the rainforest, reefs, aquatic life and village festivals.
Talking about the collaboration with the National Geographic Magazine as part of the Tobago Beyond marketing campaign TTAL CEO Louis Lewis said the partnership will open tourism doors for the island.
“National Geographic are known as a travel magazine [which] has a close association with eco-adventurers, and people trust their content. The TTAL wanted to pursue an alliance with them to put us in the mainstream [and] where the crème de la crème [of tourists and world travellers] would be attracted to Tobago as environmentally beautiful and where our people are living in harmony with nature – those aspects are what attracts visitors,” he said.
Believing this type of joint work to be beneficial, Louis lauded the efficacy of the TTAL promotional campaign which he announced had achieved thousands of views since initial publication in early January.
“We wanted to ensure that we are attractive and engaging for clientele that appreciate the product that is Tobago. We are creating a viral promotion and the content is published on a site of trusted authenticity. It is for us to convert these views into a motivation to travel here, and that also results in increases in arrivals.”
Acknowledging the competitive Caribbean tourism market, Lewis said progress could be seen with the 20 per cent increase in tourist arrivals in the first month of this year.
As to the coming months, he said TTAL will maintain a robust approach. “Continuing to be strategic and innovative and to work more closely with hotel and property owners so positive impressions from this type of publicity can be converted into new and innovative sales.”
Copy and paste this URL into your browser to watch the film: ​​https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel/2019/12/tobago-full-life#vpcp

Soca star Machel Montano has tied the knot.
The 45-year-old wed his long-time partner Renee Butcher at the Red House on Valentine's Day. The ceremony was the first to be held at the Rotunda at the Red House since the building was reopened just three weeks ago.

More geological activity has been discovered in South Trinidad after six new mud volcanoes were spotted. 
Researcher and geologist, Xavier Moonan, shared photos via social media showing the new formations in Los Iros. 
"New mud volcanoes! At least 6 new mud volcano cones have appeared over the last week in RE Trace, Los Iros. The new cones all occur along the trace of the August 21st 2018 earthquake fault rupture which completely offset the roads along RE Trace."
"Oil sheen and strong sent of hydrocarbons accompany the mudflow. Mud samples were collected for analysis," Moonan said. 
A resurgence of activity at the Piparo Mud Volcano in October 2019 caused panic among residents.
State officials monitored the mud volcano and some people were even evacuated after it began showing signs of activity including cracks in a nearby road and emissions of gas and mud.
The Piparo Mud Volcano is known for an eruption in 1997 which caused catastrophic damage to over 33 homes in the area. 
Source: The Loop, Jan 20, 2020

The Council and Staff of the National Trust rejoice in the reopening of the Red House, the seat of our democracy.
It is our fervent hope that the grandeur of the Red House will spark a desire in citizens to preserve, cherish and celebrate all heritage symbols that entwine our shared past with our shared future.
The National Trust wishes to thank all those who have contributed to the restoration of the Red House and other heritage properties that are the inheritance of every citizen of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Red House has been pro­claimed as the place for the con­tin­u­a­tion of Par­lia­ment.
A state­ment from the Par­lia­ment yes­ter­day showed a le­gal no­tice signed by Pres­i­dent Paula-Mae Weekes where she ap­point­ed the Red House as the place at which the Fifth Ses­sion of the Eleventh Par­lia­ment shall con­tin­ue.
Here is the full text of the procla­ma­tion be­low:
WHERE­AS it is pro­vid­ed by sub­sec­tion (1) of sec­tion 67 of the Con­sti­tu­tion of the Re­pub­lic of Trinidad and To­ba­go, that each ses­sion of Par­lia­ment shall be held at such place with­in Trinidad and To­ba­go and shall com­mence at such time as the
Restora­tion works have been on­go­ing at the Red House, which housed Par­lia­ment for decades.
Last last year it was an­nounced that sit­tings of the Up­per and Low­er House would re­turn to the Red House this month af­ter be­ing housed at the In­ter­na­tion­al Wa­ter­front Com­plex, Port-of-Spain for the last eight years.
Gov­ern­ment said last year it would take some time for Par­lia­ment staff and op­er­a­tions to move in­to the Red House and this would be done dur­ing while the hous­es were on re­cess.
It was not the first time the his­toric Red House had to be re­stored or re­built.
The orig­i­nal build­ing was de­stroyed in 1903 wa­ter ri­ots and re­built in 1907.
It was giv­en its fa­mous coat of red paint in 1897 when this coun­try, which made up British colonies, pre­pared to cel­e­brate then Queen Vic­to­ria’s di­a­mond ju­bilee.
Pres­i­dent may by Procla­ma­tion ap­point:
Now, there­fore, I, PAULA-MAE WEEKES, Pres­i­dent as afore­said, do here­by ap­point the Red House, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, as the place at which the Fifth Ses­sion of the Eleventh Par­lia­ment of the Re­pub­lic of Trinidad and To­ba­go shall con­tin­ue.
Giv­en un­der my Hand and the Seal of the Pres­i­dent of the Re­pub­lic of Trinidad and To­ba­go at the Of­fice of the Pres­i­dent, St. Ann’s, this 10th day of Jan­u­ary, 2020.
Source: Trinidad Guardian, Jan 16, 2020