When a 33-year-old man in Bandung arrived at the emergency department, doctors expected the usual signs of severe dengue: fever, low platelets, and risk of bleeding. But this patient’s case turned into a medical mystery. Instead of bleeding, his heart was failing.

Dr. Miftah Pramudyo from Universitas Padjadjaran’s Faculty of Medicine and colleagues discovered that the man was suffering from fulminant dengue myocarditis—a rare but deadly complication where the dengue virus directly damages the heart muscle. The patient developed two dangerous arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), putting him at high risk of sudden death.

Doctors immediately placed him in the intensive care unit, stabilizing his condition with advanced cardiac monitoring and emergency therapy. The case was reported as one of the few documented instances worldwide where dengue led to such severe heart involvement. “This shows that dengue is not only a disease of fever and bleeding—it can silently attack the heart,” Dr. Pramudyo explained.

For public health, this discovery is a call to action. Dengue remains one of Indonesia’s biggest health burdens, with tens of thousands of cases reported each year. Identifying unusual complications like myocarditis will help doctors act faster and save more lives. For patients, it’s a reminder that unexplained chest pain or shortness of breath during dengue fever must never be ignored.

By documenting this rare case, Universitas Padjadjaran strengthens Indonesia’s role in global dengue research and reinforces its contribution to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being. It also highlights the urgent need for awareness, better diagnostics, and hospital preparedness in dengue-endemic regions.