It’s that time of year when people are making March break travel plans but there’s more to consider than what to pack.
Human cases of the Zika virus is turning up in more U.S. states including Delaware, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee.
Health officials say the risk of transmission is very low, but are still telling pregnant women to be careful.
The World Health Organization has declared the disease a global health threat because of its possible link to birth defects.
So far, the only cases of Zika virus in the U-S and Canada are people who have travelled to affected areas in the Caribbean and the Americas.
At the Huronia Travel Clinic in Barrie, there has been an influx of calls from people travellers concerned about the Zika virus.
Doctors say pregnant women should avoid any travel to Zika hotspots.
“If you plan on becoming pregnant or you’re a pregnant women travelling to Latin America or these countries that has the Zika virus, I would postpone that travel,” said Dr. Chris Gall at the Huronia Travel Clinic.
Canada’s chief public health officer is urging pregnant women who return home from a Zika affected area to ask their doctor to be tested, along with any other travellers who appear to show symptoms. The test results can take four weeks to come in.
“I would anticipate that we will have a huge number of request in Canada based on what has been happening since the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) started doing testing a few weeks ago,” said Dr. Neil Rau, an infectious disease specialist.
Health official have also said men who have been to a Zika outbreak region should use condoms if they have sex with a pregnant woman -- for the entire duration of the pregnancy.
The guidance also said the men might consider abstaining or using condoms even during sex with a woman who isn't pregnant.
All travelers are advised to use insect repellent and take other steps to avoid mosquito bites.
-With files from The Associated Press
