Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) update their travel advice for citizens traveling to the United States today. “In light of cases of locally transmitted Zika virus confirmed in areas of Florida, our travel advice for Florida is the same as for travel to any affected area: women who are pregnant or who are trying to become pregnant should consider postponing their travel”, DFA published.
The Florida Department of Health reported four active transmissions of the Zika virus occurring in one small area in Miami-Dade County, just north of downtown.
Zika is a viral infection that usually causes a mild illness that typically lasts between 2 to 7 days. 80% of people who become infected by Zika virus have no symptoms. Zika virus is spread through the bite of a mosquito that is in certain countries.
Infection with Zika virus has been strongly linked with a serious birth condition called microcephaly. Microcephaly means a baby born with an unusually small head. In these cases, the baby’s brain may not have formed properly during pregnancy. An increase in cases of a neurological illness (called Guillan Barre Syndrome) have also been reported in areas where Zika virus outbreaks have occurred.
Related:
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- Zika and travel: UK officials raise Florida to ‘moderate’ risk level
- South Dakota reports increase in human West Nile virus
- Vibrio vulnificus reported in Collier County: 16th case of the year in Florida
- Scotland E. coli outbreak linked to blue cheese
- CDC’s Frieden: ‘As we have anticipated, Zika is now here’, compliments Florida DOH
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