For those who fall ill, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says symptoms are usually mild and normally last two to seven days. Symptoms are similar to dengue and chikungunya and include the following:
The urgency of this outbreak is not entirely from the severity of symptoms, but from the fact that Zika can be spread from a pregnant woman to her unborn baby and has been linked to birth defects, such as microcephaly smallerthannormal head size and incomplete brain development in infants.
Women who are pregnant: consider postponing travel to any area where Zika virus transmission is ongoing.
Women who are trying to become pregnant: before you travel, talk to your doctor about your plans to become pregnant and the risk of Zika virus infection. It is strongly recommended that you follow the steps to prevent mosquito bites during your trip.
There is no vaccine to prevent Zika. Therefore, the CDC advises travelers to protect themselves from mosquito bites by taking the following precautions.
Avoid traveling to locations that are currently experiencing an outbreak
Use EPA registered insect repellents as directed
(Pregnant and breastfeeding women can use all EPA registered insect repellents, including DEET, according to the product label. Most repellent, including DEET, can be used on children ages >2 months.)
Stay and sleep in screened in or airconditioned rooms
Wearing long sleeved shirts and long pants
Use permethrintreated clothing and gear
Such as boots, pants, socks and tents. (Clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear can be treated with a pesticide called permethrin to kill or repel insects such as mosquitoes and ticks.) You can buy pretreated clothing and gear or treat them yourself.
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