Zika Virus

[Inwaiting]

Hi everyone

I'm due to travel to Dominican Republic next week. I'm really confused as to whether the advice is not to travel or not. What should I do? Will my GP be able to advise me or should I phone midwife?

Thanks in advance xxx

[bluewisteria]

What is the foreign office advice? They usually list no go countries of their website

[Finallyonboard]

Haiti is on the list so for me, Dom Rep would be out too.

[Inwaiting]

So far

Barbados
Brazil
Colombia
Ecuador
El Salvador
French Guiana
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Martinique
Mexico
Panama
Paraguay
Puerto Rico
Saint Martin
Suriname
Venezuela

are the countries that they are advising not to travel to. Think I will phone midwife on Monday xxx

[meditrina]

FCO travel advice here

Right now they list dengue and chikungunya as mosquito borne diseases present there, but not zika.

[steppemum]

the other check to do is how pregnant you are and at what point the virus would cause harm.
eg, rubella virus is only an issue in early pregnancy, once you are past first 3 months it is ok. What about Zika?

[Finallyonboard]

Is it really worth risking it?

latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2016/01/23/dominican-republic-hit-by-first-10-cases-zika-virus/

[YouthHostellingWithChrisEubank]

I live in one of those above countries and the govt has told women to not get pregnant!

No way would I risk it, and I have travelled all kinds of weird places while pregnant.

[StitchesInTime]

the other check to do is how pregnant you are and at what point the virus would cause harm

They've only been looking into the link between Zika and microceophaly for a few months - would it be possible for anyone to know that information for certain already?

[MedSchoolRat]

GP won't know (actually probably a travel nurse at the surgery is one to advise). This news is very breaking, nobody knows when in pregnancy one needs to be exposed. Probably a lot of people are exposed & the fetus is fine, btw, just like with chickenpox or other viruses, most pregnancies not affected. Probably only worst affected cases that lead to problems. But no one can say for sure, yet.

If you feel you must travel then take all precautions to avoid being bitten. Must admit I think I would avoid going myself. Sorry. :(

[steppemum]

This virus is carried by the same mosquito as the dengue fever virus, so if they have dengue, then they have the right mosquitos for the zika virus.

I have to say, if it was me, I would be cancelling.

[MedSchoolRat]

(AFAIK) Zika has never hit such a naive population before; in countries where Zika existed before, virtually all people were immune by puberty, so this link between virus & micro-E not observed previously. That's why so little info about how it works.

[Fifi10]

If you haven't already, get travel insurance.

After this go to GP/ travel nurse etc. as pp have posted for advice. If you don't do it in this order your insurer can potentially argue that you knew the risk when booking and not cover you (minefield). If you decide not to go you can then get your gp to write a letter saying you are unfit to travel and then make an insurance claim. Pretty sure there was another thread on here this week about travel to Antigua with similar advice.

[scaevola]

As the risk has been in the news, it's probably uninsurable already.

Zika was first identified in monkeys (in the Zika forest, Uganda) in the 1950s, and first noted in people in 1960s (in Nigeria, so it's probably present in a lot of Africa).

These are communities where medical reach is imperfect and accurate records of condition at birth lacking. So a lot of the information needed to confirm a causal link between the virus and micro-encephaly has been slow in coming, let alone establishing when in pregnancy the virus was encountered and whether that makes a difference.

[Inwaiting]

Thanks everyone. I have worldwide travel all year round. I spoke to them this morning and they said the GP has to advise me not to travel and then they'll pay out

[lljkk]

There's a website the travel nurses all check, will tell them officially & I doubt it says safe 4 U to go.

[MetalMidget]

I love the Dominican Republic, but I wouldn't go there at the moment - they've had Zika cases in Haiti, which is next door on the same island. To be fair, whenever I've gone to Punta Cana in December/January, I've not seen any mosquitos, but I still don't think I'd chance it, sorry. :(

[Inwaiting]

Thanks ladies I'll let you know what the advice is tomorro 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[lljkk]

What did they say, IW?

[Inwaiting]

Government advice has now changed to include Dominican Republic so I'm now not going. Insurance are just checking with underwriters that it's ok to refund. Gutted but I'm glad it's clear cut now as it wasn't before

[Inwaiting]

This is becoming such a nightmare. First choice are saying that FCO haven't advised them not to travel. But independent page on DR on FCO website says there's an outbreak.

[lljkk]

Give it a day or 2 for travel agent to catch up with most recent advice. When are you supposed to travel?

[GingerCuddleMonsterThe2nd]

I used to work for first choice, they are awful! They will not refund till the Foreign Office state clearly and in bold no go.

They may offer you a transfer though if you push for it. Check out the t & c's on the website a for transfer at not cost due to pregnancy.

[Inwaiting]

FCO have advised not to travel. I'm hoping my insurance just comes back and validates it all for me so I can just get a refund. They have offered alternatives but its in other zika areas!

[GingerCuddleMonsterThe2nd]

Tthey are idiots, the contact centre staff are a los really badly trained its not their fault, honestly.

I'd say press on with the insurance then they should refund you. You should also ask your insurance of they want you to no show at the airport or cancel.

[CityMole]

My sister is about to go on honeymoon to Mexico in 3 weeks time. Thomson will only let them change their booking if she has doctor's proof that she is pregnant. She is ttc and she now doesn't want to go for pretty obvious reasons (nobody knows at what gestation it can be harmful to become infected- and there is no cure) but because she can't prove she's pregnant NOW, then she has no right to change the holiday or get a refund. There must be loads of honeymooners in the same boat!

OP, are you going to book a different trip instead?