Zika Virus and going to florida

[minnie mum]

I would consider a 'declared health emergency ' cause for concern. There is a difference between panic and concern, and the governor of Florida is taking the Zika virus very seriously, hence the public health warning. There is still so much about Zika virus that is unknown, and until we have all of the facts no one should dismiss a cause for concern. It is important for the public to stay informed. I hope that Zika is sent packing from the USA ASAP.

There is certainly a reason to be aware of the issue. But there is no reason, yet, for concern. And how can it be sent packing if it isn't yet IN the US? No one has, yet, caught the disease unless they were abroad.

 

[capegirl]

There is certainly a reason to be aware of the issue. But there is no reason, yet, for concern. And how can it be sent packing if it isn't yet IN the US? No one has, yet, caught the disease unless they were abroad.

If Gov. Rick Scott was not concerned he would not have have taken any action whatsoever; his health emergency declaration speaks for itself. I am sure there were many factors that led to his decision, and I am certain that infected individuals coming into Florida who had traveled to high risk countries was not the single reason for such a declaration. In this instance it was a level of concern that precipitated the health emergency, and now the focus is on preparedness and vigilant mosquito control.
If my genuine concern for the beautiful state of Florida, and it's residents has offended anyone, please except my apology.

 

[minnie mum]

Let me try to rephrase this as simply as I can. The governor issued a state of emergency. Which in this case was purely an administrative necessity in order to enable funding and to activate the preventive mosquito control protocols.

Scott's executive order requires the state health officer to "take any action necessary to protect public health" and allows the commissioner of agriculture to issue a "mosquito declaration" in the affected counties to reduce populations of the insects that can spread the disease.

Unfortunately, the required use of the word "emergency" leads to unnecessary worry by people who don't understand the difference between an actual emergency which could pose an imminent and real danger, and a hypothetical, or potential one, requiring an advanced level of preparedness. This case falls into the latter category. You are free to be as concerned or worried about this as you wish. Until it becomes an actual problem, I'll just remain alert for further developments.

 

[platamama]

There is certainly a reason to be aware of the issue. But there is no reason, yet, for concern. And how can it be sent packing if it isn't yet IN the US? No one has, yet, caught the disease unless they were abroad.

There has been sexual transmission noted in at least two cases - one recently in TX and one in CO 8 yrs ago, where the partners got infected with Zika but had not traveled out of the country. The one in CO is interesting in that there's not information about it spreading across the state back then. However, CO does not have favorable conditions for the mosquitos that spread Zika, unlike parts of the country with humidity and heat.

There's not as much noise about the uptick in Guillain-Barre syndrome that is accompanying the rise in Zika cases - it's not just pregnant women who should be concerned.

 

[bankr63]

There has been sexual transmission noted in at least two cases - one recently in TX and one in CO 8 yrs ago, where the partners got infected with Zika but had not traveled out of the country. The one in CO is interesting in that there's not information about it spreading across the state back then. However, CO does not have favorable conditions for the mosquitos that spread Zika, unlike parts of the country with humidity and heat.

There's not as much noise about the uptick in Guillain-Barre syndrome that is accompanying the rise in Zika cases - it's not just pregnant women who should be concerned.

Okay so no sex with strangers while on vacation. I can handle that restriction.

The virus has been around since the 1950's, and now that it has crossed the ocean, it is probably running a pandemic course because there is no immunity in the population (kind of like the Europeans did to the native populations here with smallpox and other diseases). In general though it is slow moving (it took from the 50's to now to get to the Western Hemisphere), so it may take quite a while to actually reach the US. I am sure that eventually it will migrate to the US via the mosquito model, but that could take a very long time. Avoiding sexual transmission is easy peasy. When mosquitos in the US become carriers of the virus, then it will be time to worry; but that could be weeks, months, or even years away.

Once it passes through the population, I doubt we will see enduring impacts of the increased microcephaly. There does not appear to be a problem with this in the continents that have long been infected, probably because most people contract it and build antibodies in childhood. The problem is more likely contracting the virus for the first time while pregnant. So, heed the CDC warnings for countries impacted and watch carefully for further development in countries that are not impacted. Since there is little of the tropical world that does not now have Zika, warm vacations for pregnant women become more difficult; perhaps travel to Florida is advisable while it is still (relatively) safe.

 

[OKWDVCMagic]

As of March 10, 2016 - Florida has 6 confirmed cases of Zika virus. Two of these cases are in Osceola County which is the county to the south of Disney World.
http://www.wftv.com/news/local/6-new-zika-cases-confirmed-in-florida/155044571

 

[minnie mum]

As of March 10, 2016 - Florida has 6 confirmed cases of Zika virus. Two of these cases are in Osceola County which is the county to the south of Disney World.
http://www.wftv.com/news/local/6-new-zika-cases-confirmed-in-florida/155044571

Uh huh. Five of those were contracted out of country. The 6th was sexually transmitted from someone infected while out of country. The only take away from that is the warning not to have unprotected sex with someone who has the disease.

 

[capegirl]

As of March 10, 2016 - Florida has 6 confirmed cases of Zika virus. Two of these cases are in Osceola County which is the county to the south of Disney World.
http://www.wftv.com/news/local/6-new-zika-cases-confirmed-in-florida/155044571

Thanks for the Zika update. I have read a few posts recently from expectant mothers who were understandably concerned. While the risk is low, it is important to stay informed.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I've been to Disney a number of times and not seen a mosquito. When we were there last September we went to Hoop-Dee-Doo and then popped over to the campfire for about 30 mins and both my DD and I got a number of bites. No Zika mosquitoes but still a number of mosquito bites. You may wish to avoid this area of WDW just to be overly cautious.

 

[tarakinspa]

Bump Now Miami and Loiusiana

 

[ottawamom]

Mosquitos love me. I don't ever remember being bitten by a mosquito at Disney. If anyone is worried I would just say to take all necessary precautions.

 

[OKWDVCMagic]

Uh huh. Five of those were contracted out of country. The 6th was sexually transmitted from someone infected while out of country. The only take away from that is the warning not to have unprotected sex with someone who has the disease.

Minnie Mum...... as you can now see with insect transmitted viruses things can change rapidly. I believe you have in previous posts underestimated the impact throughout Florida. I do not believe anyone was being an alarmist but everyone needs to be aware of the risks and modes of transmission that can occur and take appropriate precautions.

 

[Donald - my hero]

It was reported today that Disney is giving away FREE insect repellent, that to me is a clear sign that this is a real documented, issue now. They have also begun to drain and fill in large bodies of standing water -- most notable is the pool in the long since closed River Country. If i was pregnant i would NOT be travelling to Disney now, safety first.

 

[ottawamom]

Sobey's is clearing out nice travel sized bottles of Watkins insect repellent at the moment (comes with a clip for your backpack). It's in the seasonal items aisle. I've used it in the backwoods of Manitoba to ward off the killer sized mosquitoes they have there and it works. (contains Deet so use with caution)

 

[bankr63]

Minnie Mum...... as you can now see with insect transmitted viruses things can change rapidly. I believe you have in previous posts underestimated the impact throughout Florida. I do not believe anyone was being an alarmist but everyone needs to be aware of the risks and modes of transmission that can occur and take appropriate precautions.

Yes, it was an overreaction back in February (when this thread started) to consider cancelling trips. Now that Zika has arrived in Florida, it is worth considering precautions. Still should be sensible precautions as, aside from women planning pregnancy, this virus is a fairly low risk to general health.