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DOH: NYers Returning From Zika-Affected Regions Should Take These Precautions
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Feb 5, 2016
Modified Feb 5, 2016
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Feb 5, 2016
Modified Feb 5, 2016
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Three people in NYC, including one pregnant woman, have tested positive for Zika, the mosquito-borne virus that has so ravaged Latin American and Caribbean countries of late that the World Health Organization declared it a global health emergency this week. The NYC Department of Health has been warning travelers to take precautions when visiting countries affected by the outbreak, and they're now saying people should continue to take those precautions after returning from those countries, to prevent the disease from being spread in New York.
According to the new guidelines, travelers who return from Zika-ravaged areas from April to November, which is New York's mosquito season, should take precautions for 14 days after arrival in NYC, "to prevent transmission to mosquitoes, which otherwise could infect other NYC residents." Pregnant women should not travel to countries affected by the Zika outbreak, and they should not have vaginal, anal, and oral sex with their partners without using condoms if those partners have traveled to any countries with Zika for the duration of their pregnancy.
Travelers should, per the DOH:
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
- Stay in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.
- Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents. All EPA-registered insect repellents are evaluated for effectiveness.
- If you have a baby or child, do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months of age.
- Dress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs, or cover crib, stroller, and baby carrier with mosquito netting.
- In especially mosquito-dense areas, consider treating clothing and gear with permethrin or purchase permethrin-treated items.
- Sleep under a mosquito bed net if you are overseas or outside and are not able to protect yourself from mosquito bites.
The CDC has a long list of countries currently fighting the Zika outbreak, including Costa Rica, Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Guatemala.
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Rebecca Fishbein
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