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Original poster

Cape Verde - Zika?

9 replies

OhCrapThatsAProblem · 12/03/2023 08:26

Panicking! Holiday to Cape Verde booked at the end of March - organised looooong before I got pregnant (currently 17 weeks). I've just read on the gov.uk website that there's a moderate risk of Zika virus and the advice is for pregnant women to avoid travelling there.

However, this advice seems really old - there has been no reported cases of Zika in Cape Verde since the major outbreak in 2015-2016.

I don't know what to do - the reading I've done indicates that the risk is really low, but I absolutely don't want to put my baby at risk.

I don't think I can go, can I? Sad

OP posts:
RiverRock22 · 12/03/2023 08:29

Are you staying in a resort?

I know when I was in the Carribean they fogged the boundaries of the resorts to reduce the risk. Probably worth contacting travel agent or someone in the know.

Sarain · 12/03/2023 08:31

Sorry but no, there's not a chance I would go. You'll be so stressed when you invariable get a mosquito bite. You also really don't want to slather yourself in DEET while pregnant and you'd have no other choice.

Original poster
OhCrapThatsAProblem · 12/03/2023 08:34

Yes, staying in a resort, @RiverRock22 - I'll email the hotel.

That's exactly it, @Sarain - I don't think I'd relax for a single second in case I get bitten. And yes, the advice is to use insect repellent with minimum 50% DEET - that's not going to be good for the baby!

ARRRRRGGGGGHHH this is awful. I was so looking forward to this holiday!

OP posts:
GlmPmum · 12/03/2023 08:38

I was in the same position as you a couple of years ago, ended up swapping holiday to the canaries instead, not worth the stress!

belimoo · 12/03/2023 08:39

Ah how annoying for you! Did you use a travel agent? Could you rearrange to a different location, maybe the Canaries? (I don't know if there's Zika there?)

Original poster
OhCrapThatsAProblem · 12/03/2023 08:48

I've just had a look at the travel documents - non-refundable, non-transferable etc. I'm going to check our travel insurance as the holiday was booked months before I got pregnant so maybe it will be covered . . . doubt it, though, there's probably an exclusion Sad

OP posts:
Sarain · 12/03/2023 13:03

If the official travel advice is not to go then usually insurance will pay try your credit card provider.

Roselilly36 · 12/03/2023 13:06

Not worth the risk, great news that you took out the travel insurance months ago, before you were pregnant. Hopefully the policy will cover you. TBH everyone I know that has been to CV has moaned about it, never known anyone to return, so possibly a blessing tbh.

FairIce · 12/03/2023 14:46

It is a risk. I've been reading that there are other mosquito born diseases appearing in Europe as well.
www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/how-mosquitoes-might-affect-european-holidays-summer/

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