A 30-year-old Russian IT specialist named Mikhail has been left stranded in Egypt with his family for nearly a year after contracting an unidentified medical condition that left him unable to sweat.
Mikhail arrived in the Red Sea resort city of Hurghada for a vacation with his wife and children, but the family has been unable to return home to Moscow as his health rapidly deteriorated.
According to reports published by the Telegram channel Shot, the inability to sweat was the first warning sign of the unknown illness. In the intense warmth of Egypt, the sudden lack of sweat caused daily near-fainting episodes and caused Mikhail's heart rate to surge to 200 beats per minute.
The Russian specialist later developed a severe intestinal infection alongside dehydration, worsening his physical health and leaving him unable to work or leave his living quarters. To manage the extreme heat without body sweat, he has been forced to pour water over himself constantly while remaining indoors.
Diagnostic search in Cairo
Seeking answers, the family spent their entire savings of $8,000 on comprehensive medical examinations in Cairo. Despite the extensive testing in the capital city, Egyptian doctors have been unable to establish a definitive diagnosis for his condition.
The inability to produce sweat, known medically as anhidrosis, prevents the human body from regulating its temperature naturally. In hot climates like North Africa, anhidrosis can lead to dangerous overheating, rapid pulse rate, and heat stroke. Cairo is home to Egypt's largest medical institutions, where complex diagnostic work is typically conducted for international patients.
Because of his physical decline and prolonged medical evaluation, the family has overstayed their Egyptian tourist visas by almost a year. Under local immigration rules, travelers who remain beyond their authorized stay must settle financial penalties before clearing border control.
Immigration hurdles and next steps
Mikhail and his family now need to pay the accumulated visa fines before they can legally depart Egypt and travel back to Russia to continue medical treatment.
The case comes as health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo separately reported a new dangerous disease that resulted in 14 deaths over a 19-day period.
