“I think there are precautions we have to take… You always have to know what’s going on, especially traveling overseas.”
- Michael Phelps, at the Rio Olympics, 2016
What is Zika & What does it do?
Zika is one of many viruses that you can get from a mosquito bite. It was first recorded in Zika forest in Uganda in 1947, and remained localized there for decades.
Its broken out in the last few years, and now lingers in the tropics and subtropics worldwide. Related to the West Nile virus, yellow fever, and dengue fever, it travels quickly from person to person via infected Aedes mosquitoes. The mosquito can infect a person itself or become a carrier via biting a someone infected and take it to the next person.
If you catch Zika, you probably won’t know it. Only 20% show symptoms. The symptoms take 3-12 days to appear, generally aren’t severe, and last last 2-7 days. You may dismiss is it as a strange flu.
Zika symptoms include:
- Fever (most common)
- Skin rash (most common)
- Joint pain
- Headache, with notable pain behind the eyes
- Red eyes (conjunctivitis)
- Lack of energy and overall weakness
Zika didn’t make headlines for its flu symptoms. It has a unique and worrying ability to cross the placental barrier in pregnant women and reach the child. It’s been linked to microcephaly in unborn children, a condition wherein the head is too small at birth.
Microcephaly can cause a host of mental development delays, including problems with speech, movement, and growth. There’s been a spike in cases throughout Zika affected areas, most notably in Brazil. It’s important to note that officials haven’t been able to definitively link Zika as the cause.
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Pregnant women and their partners, along with couple who will be attempting to get pregnant within 6 months, have been advised to strongly reconsider travel to an affected areas. If you’re not in one of these groups, you should still protect yourself as other diseases, like malaria, tend to dwell in the same places.
While the worst hit country has been Brazil, there are many more affected. Here is a list of places at high risk:
American Samoa
Argentina
Aruba – Netherlands Territory
Barbados
Bolivia
Brazil
Cape Verde
Colombia
Costa Rica
Curaçao
Dominica (The Commonwealth of)
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
French Guiana
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Martinique
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Puerto Rico
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Martin
Singapore
Suriname
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
United States of America – Florida and Texas (Cameron County)
US Virgin Islands
Venezuela
The good news is that you don’t have to worry about getting Zika from a mosquito in Canada. Our bitter climates protects us from all kinds of nasty critters, including Zika-carrying mosquitos.
That being said, Zika can be passed sexually from one partner to another. Given that most people with Zika don’t know it, practice safe sex or abstain while travelling to any of the above countries.
To all the men out there, especially if you’re planning on getting your partner pregnant, you need to protect yourself too. To prevent possible spread, wear a condom for 6 months after travelling to one of the above countries, even if you show no symptoms.
If you’re a woman trying to get pregnant and you travel to one of these countries, take an 8 week break from trying to conceive when you get back. It persists in semen longer than the body, so you don’t need to wait 6 months.
Protect Yourself:
If you’re planning to travel, keep in mind that with no vaccine to prevent Zika (although they’re working on one), it’s up to you to protect yourself. Chat with your doctor up to 6 weeks before travelling to find out more about what you can do.
In the tropics and subtropics, it’s a good idea to avoid mosquito contact altogether. Wear long sleeved shirts and pants and use insect repellants containing DEET or picaridin (note: apply sunscreen before the repellant, not after).
The mosquito that carries Zika is a nasty piece of work. Aedes aegypti, which is easily recognized by white markings across its body, is responsible for transmitting Zika fever, dengue fever, yellow fever, and chikungunya. It originated in Africa but has made its way into subtropical regions worldwide.
http://www.rd.com/health/wellness/zika-virus-facts/
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/zika-virus-country-specific-risk
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ohp-zika-factsheet-basics.htm
https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/news/zika-virus
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/zika-virus/travelling.html#a1