Yucatan Peninsula Zika-free so far; virus no threat to tourism, Mexico health official assures

Depite widespread publicity regarding the Zika virus, there have been no confirmed cases to date in the Yucatan Peninsula states of Yucatan, Campeche or Quintana Roo.

Reuters reported that Mexico’s health ministry on Wednesday Feb. 3  played down any impact on its tourism industry from the mosquito-borne Zika virus, emphasizing the disease was under control and far from its main tourist centers.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates Zika could eventually affect as many as 4 million people in Latin America, however, the infection presents no risk for tourist activity. Mexican health official Diaz assured tour operators during a meeting in Cancun; that the country is following all WHO guidelines regarding containment of the disease, however he conceded it was “inevitable” the virus would spread. The cool temperatures currently prevailing in the Yucatan Peninsula are another factor diminishing concern about Zika here as they prevent the reproduction of the mosquito that transmits the disease. All three Yucatan Peninsula states have also implemented mosquito-eradication measures.

FACTS ABOUT ZIKA

• The WHO has not recommended travel or trade bans with Mexico.
• Mexico has so far confirmed 34 cases of Zika, none in Yucatan.
• The disease causes mild fever, rash and red eyes, though about four-fifths of those infected show no symptoms.
• Few Zika sufferers have to be hospitalized.
• The virus has been tied to brain damage in babies in Brazil, but Mexico has not yet detected a case in a pregnant woman.
• Mexico is one of 26 Latin American and Caribbean countries and territories with a Zika-related travel alert from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prompting some expectant couples to steer clear of the region.

Source:

TYT Newsroom / reuters.com

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