4th February 2016 – Zika and Travel: The past few weeks have been cause for concern for many people living in, visiting or planning to visit areas affected by the Zika virus.

We hoped it would be useful to collate some information about Zika and travel. Any travellers with an existing booking to an affected area that are thinking about changing their plans should call their operator directly to discuss options.

Zika – What is it?

The Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites. Affected individuals may suffer the most common symptoms of Zika virus disease of fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The symptoms usually last for several days to a week and the illness is usually mild and hospitalization is uncommon however the greatest concern is about a suspected link with brain defects in babies.

In recent weeks the Zika virus has spread to more than 20 countries in the Americas and the rapidly growing and unprecedented outbreak has caused fear in the affected regions and for those who are planning to visit them. At the time of writing no travel bans are in place but many people are looking for advise about whether it is safe to visit the affected and neighbouring regions.

For the most current information about Zika virus, please visit www.cdc.gov/zika.

Should I travel?

As of the 3rd February 2016, only pregnant women have been advised to reconsider their plans if they were planning to visit an affected country due to the suspicion that the virus can travel across the placenta and affect the health of an unborn baby. All visitors should make sure they are fully informed on prevention and transmission of the virus if they do travel to minimise its spread (links below).

Zika Travel Notices from the CDC

The CDC has a highly informative and up to date website to keep an eye on if you are planning travel to any of the following places. Review the links regularly to see any updates.

• Zika Virus in Cape Verde
• Zika Virus in the Caribbean
  Currently includes: Barbados; Curaçao; Dominican Republic; Guadeloupe; Haiti; Martinique; the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory; Saint Martin; U.S. Virgin Islands
• Zika Virus in Central America
  Currently includes: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama
• Zika Virus in Mexico
• Zika Virus in the Pacific Islands
  Currently includes: American Samoa, Samoa
• Zika Virus in South America
  Currently includes: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela

Here are some more useful links:

• Zika Q&A
• Prevention
• Transmission
• For Pregnant Women