traveling to Miami and Caribbean and zika virus?

[atr]

should i be worried? getting sick on a cruise ship is not all that fun. Especially being type 1 diabetic and all.

 

[NicolaB70]

should i be worried? getting sick on a cruise ship is not all that fun. Especially being type 1 diabetic and all.

Hi, I'm not type 1 but I am also going on a Caribbean cruise but departing from Galveston (Texas) in August. I am not at all worried about the zika virus. I have noticed that there is an information section about it on my travel agents website and from what I can tell it won't affect me anyway as its not in the countries that I am visiting. I would maybe talk to your GP if your that worried but all the same have an amazing holiday and enjoy yourself.

 

[Robinredbreast]

should i be worried? getting sick on a cruise ship is not all that fun. Especially being type 1 diabetic and all.

Nicola's reply was so useful, just get as much information as possible, talk to your GP and try and enjoy your holiday. No one wants to be ill, find out all you can about the possibility of being unwell and type 1 sick days. I know, just recently, how my BS soared when ill.

 

[AndBreathe]

should i be worried? getting sick on a cruise ship is not all that fun. Especially being type 1 diabetic and all.

I am in the Tropics, and have been for the past 3 months, so I have been monitoring the situation in the locale with interest. Indeed the island where I am currently reported its first Zika case about a week ago.

The usual WHO, Foreign Office etc., sites are regularly updated with information for travellers. My comments would vary depending on a couple of factors, neither of which would be anything to do with a cruise ship. Your ship will have decent medical facilities, and to be honest, as I understand it, the Zika virus itself manifests just like a flu-ish virus, so the sufferer is under the weather for a few days, but recovers well. In fact one of the challenges the medics face is distinguishing between Dengue and Zika.

On a general note; mosquitoes don't affect you when you're off shore, so sailing days will be "risk free". I am pretty certain cruise ships probably comply with the same controls airliners do in "clearing the air" (think of all that spraying on your airliners), but will do that via the aircon pretty passively.

On land, keep yourself mosi bite free. That's how Zika is transmitted. No mosi bites = no Zika, as far as I understand.

Finally, and importantly, my only real concern would be if you are actively trying for a family. Current guidance is not to become pregnant whilst in these areas, and to wait 6 months (I recall) after travel, to ensure any low grade impacts would be gone. I know friends of ours daughter who is trying hard to conceive didn't come over this winter as a precautionary measure.

So, the major steps are:
Serious anti-mosi protection (good sense anyway)
Serious contraception in place
Take significant further advice if you are planning a family in the immediate future

I hope you have a wonderful trip.

 

[atr]

thank you for all the reinsurance! ! i will talk to my GP..