Public Health Officials Urge Spring Break Travelers to Protect Against Zika The San Francisco Examiner
go to original March 22, 2017

Traveling for spring break? The California Department of Public Health is advising those heading to warmer climates to take precautions, like protecting themselves from mosquito bites and avoiding unprotected sex, in areas where there is transmission of the Zika virus.

Any travel to Mexico and most of Latin America to be a potential risk for Zika virus infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Transmission of the Zika virus has been reported throughout Mexico, including states with popular tourist destinations like Ensenada, a coastal city approximately 85 miles south of San Diego, Baja California Sur (Cabo San Lucas) and Sonora, which borders Arizona.

People traveling to areas with known Zika transmission should take steps to avoid mosquito bites:

• Use insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol for long-lasting protection. If using sunscreen and insect repellent, apply sunscreen first and then the repellent. Pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding should choose an EPA-registered insect repellent and use it according to the product label. Do not use insect repellent on infants less than two months of age.

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.

• Use air conditioning or window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside. If mosquitoes may come indoors, sleep under a bed net.

• Reduce the number of mosquitoes outside by emptying standing water from containers, such as flowerpots and buckets.”

Read the rest at The San Francisco Examiner

Related: CDC Expands Zika Travel Advisory as WHO Updates Risk Levels (CIDRAP)

Image: NewsWireNGR

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