Zika update: CDC issues travel notice for pregnant women
On 1 August, Florida Governor Rick Scott announced that 14 people in the US state are believed to have contracted the Zika virus – 12 men and two women. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now recommending against travel to Wynwood in Miami, US, which is where health officials believe the Zika virus is being spread by mosquitoes.
This is the first time CDC has warned people against travelling to a US neighbourhood due to the risk of infectious disease, and is a recommendation that could have major repercussions for travel and tourism.
CDC has issued a health notice specifically directed at women who are pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant. This is following prior confirmation from CDC scientists that Zika virus infection during pregnancy is a cause of microcephaly (a congenital condition associated with incomplete brain development).
First and foremost, CDC is advising pregnant women not to travel to the area, while those who live or frequently travel there are instructed to be tested in the first and second trimester of pregnancy. Furthermore, according to CDC, women with Zika should wait at least eight weeks – six months for men – after symptoms begin before trying to conceive, while women and men who have travelled to the Wynwood area should wait at least eight weeks before trying.
“We advise pregnant women to avoid travel to this area and pregnant women who live or work in this area to make every effort to avoid mosquito bites," confirmed CDC director Tom Frieden. Governor Rick Scott has shown confidence in the health agencies’ ability to prevent the spread from becoming a major outbreak, saying: "Florida has a proven track record of success when it comes to managing similar mosquito-borne viruses."
To read the travel notice in full, visit: www.cdc.gov/zika/intheus/florida-update.html