Zika Virus - Don't get pregnant for next 2 years (El Salv.)

I just heard about this over the holidays from a friend with family in Brazil - I hadn't heard of it before. I'm now seeing it in news articles. I agree, this is pretty scary. We are traveling to South America this year, but I'm done with babies and we'll be in the mountains with fewer mosquitoes. But yikes!

ETA: The countries advising women against getting pregnant - are they also helping with family planning?  This seems like a disaster in the making.

I'm booked on a week-long Carnival cruise to the western Caribbean next month and got an email from them today about this. It sounds like a serious medical concern -- especially for women of child-bearing ages.

Since it is spread by mosquitos, rather than person-to-person, mosquito control will be key to it spreading. Unfortunately, we import so much fruit from South America that it is probably only a matter of time before we have enough hitch hiking mosquitos to start having an issue here, unless for some reason our environment won't support them and they die here.

I'm under the impression, based upon news articles I have heard, there have been several cases in the US already

I got the same email from Carnival but we sail in September

My mom is going to Costa Rica in a few days, and she's picking up a specific type of mosquito spray at REI that she and her friend are supposed to spray on their clothes.

My mom's best friend is getting her doctorate and is doing her thesis on human trafficking/slave labor in developing countries. She found this woman in Costa Rica that runs a home for rescued traffic girls, and that woman set her up with some people to interview about the clothing industry issues.

I've had a problem with buying clothing that is manufactured by slave labor already, and I have an idea that after this project is complete that I'm going to have a longer list of places not to buy from. 

This is just another reason why I like consignment and thrift shopping. Reduce, Recycle, Reuse.

Mosquitos seek me out for miles around. No type of repellent or covering works. All these mosquito illnesses are terrifying.

I've been told old wives tales that the attraction has something to do with the potassium in my system.

The BBC had an article about it the other day and I felt so sorry for all the women and children affected and those that must now be worried sick.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-35388842

According to the last line of the article there are 25,000 cases of microcephaly in the US every year. So, not a new condition but the increase in numbers, i.e. 4,000 since October in Brazil is terrifying.

I saw the BBC article and pictures the other day as well and felt so sad for the Mum's and babies affected. Also immediately thought of people who were planning to attend the Olympics who might be at risk.

I am currently in the Big Island of Hawaii, which is experiencing an outbreak of Dengue Fever. This paragraph which discusses both Dengue and Zika explain how people traveling to the US can bring these viruses.


" The report does not pinpoint how the virus made its way to Hawaii, though it suggests the route would be that a person infected elsewhere still had the virus in his or her blood upon traveling to, or returning home to, Hawaii. From there, the scenario works like this: Mosquito bites person. Mosquito becomes infected. Mosquito bites other people. And so on."

The article goes on to say they do not expect outbreaks of either virus to involve many people, because in the areas with the type of mosquitos which carry these illnesses people have air conditioning or at least screens on their doors and windows.

If there is a sudden drop in birth rates for 2-3 years the social impact for decades will be mind boggling as well.

Yes, mosquitoes transmit from host to hosts. More hosts with the virus, more transmissions. So migrant populations having the virus will cause the disease to spread.

It is also believed to be transmitted through sex.

The Olympics. Wow. What a nightmare for all the female athletes. I mean, presumably none of them will be pregnant at the time of the games, but they are all of child bearing age. And coaches, reporters, etc. could well be pregnant at the time of the games.

This researcher who has been studying the virus for some time estimates it survives around 21 days in the body. Confirming melissa comment about the risk being for pregnant or extremely soon conception.

www.vox.com/2016/1/21/10805922/zika-virus-pregnancy