Volcano Hike Zika

I was wondering what you all thought about doing a volcano hike through the jungle in St. Kitts, considering the prevalence of Zika in the area.

I did this absolutely amazing hike 2 years ago, but my husband got sick and wasn't able to go with me. So when we were booking our vacation this summer, although it wasn't the deciding factor, going back to St. Kitts was a "pro" on our list so we could do this hike together.

However, my dad wrote me a scathing email warning me against going on this hike due to Zika in the area, as my husband and I are of childbearing age, waiting to complete our education and develop careers before starting a family.

I don't recall getting bitten by any mosquitoes last time I went, and we are prepared to wear bug spray and light clothing that covers our arms and legs. But with the uncertainty, due to lack of research, of long-term effects of Zika, we're trying to really weigh the pros and cons of going on this hike.

Now, I have always been a strong magnet for mosquitos (must have that sweet blood). But should I limit my life because of it? Are the risks much greater in St. Kitts on a hike from 8am-12pm than in Ft. Lauderdale eating dinner by the water at 8pm, considering Zika was in Miami last summer (who knows how far up the coast it will travel this summer)?

I know it seems like I'm asking you to tell me, "go ahead, do that hike!" And I sorta am haha But in all seriousness, I am wondering what you would do in this situation.

I was wondering what you all thought about doing a volcano hike through the jungle in St. Kitts, considering the prevalence of Zika in the area.

I did this absolutely amazing hike 2 years ago, but my husband got sick and wasn't able to go with me. So when we were booking our vacation this summer, although it wasn't the deciding factor, going back to St. Kitts was a "pro" on our list so we could do this hike together.

However, my dad wrote me a scathing email warning me against going on this hike due to Zika in the area, as my husband and I are of childbearing age, waiting to complete our education and develop careers before starting a family.

I don't recall getting bitten by any mosquitoes last time I went, and we are prepared to wear bug spray and light clothing that covers our arms and legs. But with the uncertainty, due to lack of research, of long-term effects of Zika, we're trying to really weigh the pros and cons of going on this hike.

Now, I have always been a strong magnet for mosquitos (must have that sweet blood). But should I limit my life because of it? Are the risks much greater in St. Kitts on a hike from 8am-12pm than in Ft. Lauderdale eating dinner by the water at 8pm, considering Zika was in Miami last summer (who knows how far up the coast it will travel this summer)?

I know it seems like I'm asking you to tell me, "go ahead, do that hike!" And I sorta am haha But in all seriousness, I am wondering what you would do in this situation.

Here is the official CDC Link to make your own decision.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/zika-virus-st-kitts-and-nevis

As long as you wear bug spray and possibly long sleeve/pants, you should be fine.

There is no evidence of zika causing problems down the road if you had it while you weren't pregnant. That said, the world never saw an outbreak like we have now. So no one really knows.

I'm probably too late with this for the OP, but we did the hike to the top of the volcano a couple years ago. When we were starting out someone in our group started spraying Off for the bugs. Our guide said there was no need since there are no bugs there. We were suspicious, but he was right- the only bugs we saw were a few spiders- nothing flying. It was not what I expected, but very nice.

Also, this hike was one of the best excursions I've ever been on.