Zika virus, health emergancy in Puerto Rico

What does that mean for cruise ship passengers? Anything to do? :confused::confused::confused:

Stay home or use precautions

not just in PR

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/zika/en/

Stay home or use precautions

not just in PR

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/zika/en/

This has been declared by the Governor of Puerto Rico with not too many details. Does not say to stay away or that it is safe to go there. Very confused.

Wear a mosquito repellent with at least 25% Deet over your sunscreen. Since your sunscreen needs to be reapplied at 2-3 hour intervals depending upon activity, reapply your repellent at the same time.

Wear long sleeve shirts and pants that have been treated with Permethrin. These can be found at stores like REI or Magellan's.

And remember: the mosquito carrying the Zika, Dengue, and Chikungunya viruses are out during the day and at dusk.

If you're pregnant, you might reconsider making your trip.

http://www.cdc.gov/zika/

I read that parts of Florida had a state of emergency including Broward County

How do people get to their cruises :eek:

What does that mean for cruise ship passengers? Anything to do? :confused::confused::confused:

I'm bringing heavy duty mosquito repellent. All the years I've travelled in the Caribbean I have never been bitten by a mosquito or other bug. This year might be different with all the warnings. I will be diligent about using repellent next week while in the ports.

http://www.cdc.gov/zika/

 

I read that parts of Florida had a state of emergency including Broward County

How do people get to their cruises :eek:

Good question

NPR had a report on the most effective mosquito repellents. As I recall, one that was pretty effective was Repel 100. Of course, you need to apply it properly. The article also said that the kind of mosquito that carries these viruses is most active in early mornings and early evenings, and especially likes the feet and lower leg areas. Sounds a bit odd, but that is what I read.

The virus has been reported in the Houston area, although only a few cases, and in people who have been in the Caribbean and South/Central America. But I would imagine it is just a matter of time before we have it here if it is in Florida. We have routine county mosquito sprayings and they will have to be increased when that happens. No doubt Florida does and will do something similar.

I am a mosquito magnet, and although my family rearing days are over, I would not enjoy the virus on any level and will be looking for Repel 100 soon.

I'm bringing heavy duty mosquito repellent. All the years I've travelled in the Caribbean I have never been bitten by a mosquito or other bug. This year might be different with all the warnings. I will be diligent about using repellent next week while in the ports.

I ordered a mosquito product called Sawyer with Picaridin -- more effective at repelling biting flies than DEET.

DH and I are also taking a yet to be expired can of Deet repellant. We don't want to take the chance of catching the virus and then somehow passing it on to our 12 week pregnant daughter. ;)

Speaking of which...I posted on another forum that I asked my daughter what her OB had to say about the Zika and my daughter had no idea what I was even talking about. :eek: The OB has never said a word to her, and neither she nor her older sister have ever heard or read anything about the Zika. They both have careers and have not been keeping up with the news. No one at the OBGYN office have mentioned it and she has been back twice in the last week and a half. Makes me wonder if this virus is getting more hyped because of the media. :rolleyes:

My daughter said that she is not going to worry about it, but will take some precautions. I went ahead and sent her an article and asked her to please talk to her physician about Zika. I am especially concerned that she will be going through the dead of summer with her pregnancy. They live on a river, and the golf course, plus she spends a lot of time with their 2 year old at the club pool. Lots of places for mosquitos to breed!

You can buy permethrin in rei and spray your clothes yourself. Easy. We did it for safari. It is way cheaper than paying a premium for treated clothes. It lasts only for a few washings and is colorless and odorless.

This is an informative link on the CDC website regarding mosquito borne viruses and mosquito repellent information:

http://www.cdc.gov/features/StopMosquitoes/

I haven't found documentation that Picaridin is more effective than DEET but have found documentation that it is as effective than DEET.

For concerns about Zika outbreaks in the USA, consider contacting your local health department.

My statement about "more effective at repelling biting flies than DEET" was taken directly off the website (Amazon) where I purchased the repellent, but I do see on REI where it says it is "just as effective. " ;)

I seldom am bothered by mosquitos, but I always get bitten in Puerto Rico. I would be very careful now that they say you can pass it on via bodily contact, sputum, etc. They are changing their story weekly. If I had a friend pregnant or a relative and I was in one of those areas, I would not subject that person to being with me so they do not catch it. The Zika is in a number of states in the US now, and one is California. This is very concerning to me. I would check on the government sites frequently, and if I was on a cruise going to Puerto Rico, I would not get off the ship. My opinion only.

You can buy permethrin in rei and spray your clothes yourself. Easy. We did it for safari. It is way cheaper than paying a premium for treated clothes. It lasts only for a few washings and is colorless and odorless.

We bought several spray bottles of permethrin to use on our clothes before a trip to Cuba. I have mixed feelings about this product. It may be effective on insects, but it is not a benign product and must be used with care. Once the spray has dried on clothes, it is safe. The problem is the spraying process itself.

You need to spray it outdoors as a cloud of product develops in the air around each garment; this cloud should not be inhaled. When I finished the spraying, I got in the shower and stood under the full blast of the shower for at least 15 minutes. I did this not because I knew some had gotten on my skin, but because I couldn't be certain that I had avoided the cloud and this was the procedure recommended by the instructions.

When I was finished using the bottles, I contacted the poison control phone number on the spray can and the rep I spoke to recommend I not throw the cans away with my regular trash. She recommended I take it to the local hazardous waste disposal site. Before going there, I called the site and told them about the product and the chemical contents. They confirmed that it would not be appropriate for me to put this in the ordinary trash for pickup.

I was told the benefit lasts through six washings.

I seldom am bothered by mosquitos, but I always get bitten in Puerto Rico. I would be very careful now that they say you can pass it on via bodily contact, sputum, etc. They are changing their story weekly. If I had a friend pregnant or a relative and I was in one of those areas, I would not subject that person to being with me so they do not catch it. The Zika is in a number of states in the US now, and one is California. This is very concerning to me. I would check on the government sites frequently, and if I was on a cruise going to Puerto Rico, I would not get off the ship. My opinion only.

Where did you see/hear that it can not be passed by sputum? I haven't seen or heard anything in a few days. The story seems to have disappeared from our news.

Does anyone know how long it takes to get the virus once bitten and how long it last? I do realize that some don't even know they have it, though.

I believe that now that there has been documented sexual transmission, sputum is definitely back on the table.

That said, unless one is a female of child bearing years, or frail enough to be immunocompromised, it's really not a horrifying disease, as those things go.

A fever, a rash and some joint pain; all over within a week.

Also, it's been an identified virus for some 80 years, so Lord knows how many of us have already had it.

I seldom am bothered by mosquitos, but I always get bitten in Puerto Rico. I would be very careful now that they say you can pass it on via bodily contact, sputum, etc. They are changing their story weekly. If I had a friend pregnant or a relative and I was in one of those areas, I would not subject that person to being with me so they do not catch it. The Zika is in a number of states in the US now, and one is California. This is very concerning to me. I would check on the government sites frequently, and if I was on a cruise going to Puerto Rico, I would not get off the ship. My opinion only.

If you're worried about it you better stay on the boat in Samoa and American Samoa as it's been reported there.