Vacationers should consider risks of virus

When Dr. Michael Brady and his family planned their winter vacation this year, they decided to avoid their usual trip to the Caribbean and opted for Hawaii instead.

The reason: Brady did not want his pregnant daughter-in-law exposed to the Zika virus.

The virus still is alive and well in many vacation destinations, including much of Mexico, and has been found in parts of Texas and south Florida.

As people make plans for spring and summer trips, they should check Zika travel notices on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, health advocates say.

Zika can be passed sexually, but it’s mostly transmitted by the

and mosquitoes.

“It’s really important, especially as spring break

takes place, that people are reminded that Zika continues to be a factor in many parts of the world, even as close as Florida,” said Jose Rodriguez, spokesman for Columbus Public Health.

“People are not thinking about Zika” because it’s winter, he said. “We haven’t had mosquitoes here in a long time.”

Most people infected with Zika might have a mild illness with fever and aches and possibly a rash, said Brady,

who serves as physician director of epidemiology in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

The biggest concern is for people — both women and men — who are considering having children.

“For women who become infected with Zika during pregnancy, there is a possibility that the infant will develop some significant congenital defects,” Brady said.

Babies exposed to the virus can be born with a damaged, slow-growing brain, he said, and can have a smaller-thannormal head as a result. Zika also can cause neurological issues that affect hearing and vision and cause seizures.

Men infected with Zika can carry the virus for as many as nine months in their semen, Brady said, increasing the risk of infecting a partner who is pregnant or is planning to become pregnant.

In addition, a mosquito that bites an infected person could pass the virus along to its next victim.

In 2016, there were 93 cases of Zika acquired during travel and one case acquired through sexual contact among Ohioans, according to the state Department of Health. As of

Feb. 10 this year, there have been two cases, both acquired during travel.

In the United States, Zika transmission has been found in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and in Brownsville, Texas, according to the CDC, which recommends that pregnant women consider postponing travel to these areas.

The agency also posted Zika travel notices for several places outside the United States, specifically singling out Cape Verde in Africa and low-elevation areas of Mexico.

Sites in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, the Pacific Islands and South America also are on the list.

The CDC recommends that pregnant women not travel to these areas. Others who travel to these areas should follow steps to prevent mosquito bites during their trip.

Men also should use condoms or avoid sex while traveling and for a period afterward.

Detailed information is available at https://wwwnc. cdc.gov/travel/page/ zika-information.