How to protect yourself from Zika virus in affected travel areas

Researchers in Brazil and PAHO say there is growing evidence that links Zika to microcephaly, a neurological disorder in which babies are born with smaller than normal heads and brains. There, nearly 4,000 cases of the birth defect have been reported since October.

The World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization warned in a report on Monday that they had found multiple cases across the globe where people were reported to have the syndrome shortly after contracting the Zika virus. Many people who contract the Zika virus never display any symptoms while others may present with a fever or rash.

The CDC has issued a travel warning to pregnant women as a result of the Zika virus’ spreading.

About 80% of people infected with Zika virus are asymptomatic. They are Puerto Rico, Martinique, Haiti, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Brazil, Colombia, French Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela and Mexico. And while the mechanics of how the virus may affect infants remain murky, authorities in Brazil, Colombia and El Salvador are urging women to avoid the risk by postponing pregnancies.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also advised pregnant women in U.S. to reconsider their travelling plans to Zika virus-affected countries.

In Brazil, the authorities reported more than 3,500 cases of microcephaly this past year, which is a dramatic increase from the 150 cases that were confirmed in 2014. Affected newborns have unusually small heads and abnormal brain development.

Zika is a flavivirus related to West Nile, yellow fever, Chikungunya and dengue fever, all of which have made their way to the U.S.in recent years. And recently, there have been confirmed cases of Zika in several US states.

The CDC said doctors should ask pregnant women about their travel and certain symptoms. Cases of microcephaly have risen twenty fold in Brazil since the outbreak began, affecting 3500 babies.

“And we don’t know what’s to come”.

If it will be necessary for you to travel to South America, Central America, and/or the Caribbean, caution should be taken to avoid mosquito bites, especially if you are pregnant. Indeed, the virus was first identified in 1947 in a rhesus monkey in Uganda’s Zika forest (which gave the disease its name).

There is no vaccine to combat Zika, meaning the only way for travellers to protect themselves is to avoid getting bitten by a mosquito.