The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued 'Level 2 Travel Notices' on Tuesday (August 23) for the travelers destined to Bahamas. The cautionary notice has been issued following publication of report on local mosquito transmission of Zika.
Such notice alerts travelers with advice to practice enhanced precautions while travelling to destinations with Zika outbreak. Since Zika transmission takes place through mosquitoes, CDC has also suggested Bahamas-bound travelers to protect themselves from mosquito bites.
In Tuesday's travel notice, CDC has also confirmed transmission of the mosquito-borne disease on the island of New Providence that includes the capital city of Nassau, according to a report published in CBS 58. 'Local mosquito transmission' is a terminology used to indicate infection of mosquitoes with Zika virus in a particular area. The disease control body works with other public health officials to monitor transmission of the birth defect causing virus.Traveling to the virus prone areas may cause infection. Particular species of mosquitoes responsible for spreading Zika infection aggressively bite during daytime.
Zika virus infection does not exhibit any symptoms for a particular period even after returning from the infected areas. Till date, no vaccine or medication has become available to combat against the virus. Preventing mosquito bites appears as the best practice to avoid Zika virus infection.
Symptoms of the virus infection include fever, rash, joint pain and reddish eyes. Level of such sickness is usually mild and lasts for several days to a week. In severe extent of the disease, the ailing patient needs hospitalization. However, such extent of sickness is very uncommon and very few numbers of deaths have been reported.
Though the virus causes little harm to the infected, but may pose serious risks to the unborn babies leading to microcephaly.Caribbean 360 has described Bahamas as an archipelago in the Atlantic off the coast of Florida that conjoins dozens of other destinations previously included in the CDC's travel notices. CDC advises travelers visiting Zika infected areas to monitor for symptoms of infection upon consultation with their healthcare professionals narrating recent traveling history.
Bahamas conjoins dozens of areas, already included in the CDC's list of travel alerts. On Tuesday last, the disease control and monitoring authority has enlisted Bahamas with a level 2 alert tag while confirming local transmission of Zika virus. Notably mentioning, the virus is capable of causing microcephaly and other birth defect generating diseases to the unborn and no vaccine or medication has yet been introduced to fight with.