Atlanta, GEORGIA--The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued travel alert for people traveling to the Caribbean and other areas that have confirmed transmission of the mosquito-borne Zika virus.
And with the virus linked to birth defects, the CDC has advised pregnant women that out of an abundance of caution, they should consider postponing travel to the areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing: Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.
The Level 2 alert, which indicates that travellers are advised to practice enhanced precautions follows reports in Brazil of microcephaly, a rare condition in which the brains of infants are unusually small and other poor pregnancy outcomes in babies of mothers who were infected with Zika virus while pregnant.
According to Brazilian health authorities, more than 3,500 microcephaly cases were reported in Brazil between October 2015 and January 2016. Some of the affected infants have had a severe type of microcephaly and some have died.
The CDC stressed that additional studies are needed to further characterize the relationship and more studies are planned to learn more about the risks of Zika virus infection during pregnancy, but until more is known and out of an abundance of caution, CDC recommends special precautions for pregnant women and women trying to become pregnant.
Pregnant women in any trimester should consider postponing travel to the areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. Pregnant women who must travel to one of these areas should talk to their doctor or other health care provider first and strictly follow steps to avoid mosquito bites during the trip, it said.
Women trying to become pregnant who are thinking about becoming pregnant should consult with their health care provider before traveling to these areas and strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites during the trip.
The advice from the CDC to travellers is that they wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants; use insect repellents; use permethrin-treated clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks, and tents); stay and sleep in screened-in or air-conditioned rooms.
Zika causes a dengue-like illness, with symptoms that include fever, headache, skin rash, red eyes and muscle ache; it is usually mild and does not require hospitalization. Four in five people who acquire Zika infection may have no symptoms. There is currently no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat Zika.
Locally acquired Zika was reported for the first time in Brazil in May 2015 and
the virus has since been reported in 14 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean.
