Zika Virus..Brazil, Colombia & Honduras

[fathertime]

I have been following this story which most recently taking place in Brazil.  From what I have gathered the mosquitoes are infecting pregnant women or women soon to be pregnant.  Their children are then born with severe disabilities.   I recall reading a while back that ladies in Brazil are being told not to get pregnant at all, in certain regions.   Now nations such as Colombia, Honduras, and Mexico are also on the risk list, among other listed in the article.  Hawaii has now been struck as well, so beware.   


https://www.yahoo.com/travel/is-this-virus-the-new-mosquito-borne-disease-224720174.html


Zika Virus Hits U.S.: Is This the New Mosquito-Borne Illness Travelers Have to Worry About?


As if travelers didn’t have enough to worry about with mosquitos spreading diseases like Dengue, Chikungunya, and West Nile, now there’s a new virus threatening our health: Zika virus.


Just two days after the CDC issued a travel alert advising pregnant women to consider avoiding areas including Brazil, the Caribbean, and Puerto Rico where this once rare virus is now rapidly spreading.......

[utopiacowboy]

My stepdaughter just returned from a Christmas trip to Colombia and she contracted Zika while she was there. She had all the classic symptoms and it laid her low for about a week. It is moving north through Mexico so we may eventually see it here in Texas.

[benjio]

It's very rare to get stuck by a mosquito in Zona Sul, Rio de Janeiro. That includes Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Lagoa, Flamengo and Botafogo. That area of the city is basically a Portuguese version of New York City with nicer beach front. Thousands of apartment buildings with every variety of Mom and Pop stores on the ground levels. Not much real estate for mosquito breeding. There's only one other area of the city foreigners frequent. Barra Da Tijuca! This place literally use to be a swamp and there's still thousands of acres of still, fresh water that turns into a mosquito nursery every time the temperature falls within the right range (VERY OFTEN!) Unfortunately the majority of the Olympic Games are happening in Barra. Soccer will obviously be a Maracana, cycling will be held in Copacobana and Ipanema, beach volleyball on Copacabana Beach and cross country swimming in Lagoa (if they can clean the water up in time!) The Dengue was already going to be horrible. Now this?!!!! I feel sorry for any foreigner that's going to be in Rio for more than a few days. They'll be exponentially increasing their chances of becoming very ill. Dengue sometimes kills children and elderly people. I've had it. It's no joke!!!


I wanted to see Usain Bolt run for the last time but I've been seriously considering selling my tickets. Everyday I wake up to more news stories reminding me of why I'm so lucky not to be living in Brazil anymore. 

[Elexpatriado]

Another reason to livevin Manizales. My Apartamento is 2000 m.No Dengue or Chikunguña or Zika here.

Though I did get a nasty mosquito bite that lasted for days here.

[MariaJBueno]

I had Zika for more than 2 weeks. I seriously thought I was about to die.
Everyone who works with my husband got sick then he fell sick.
He was fine just after 4 days but I developed completely different symptoms, I kid you not, I had something different every day. 


I had a high fever, muscle ache, headaches, a stomach flu, pink eye, rash, water retention my feet and hands were swollen for days.


You can only take acetaminophen and antihistamines, never take antibiotics or aspirin. Drink lots of water.

[Awesome]

It is moving north through Mexico so we may eventually see it here in Texas.

Don't say that!  Living here on the Texas Gulf Coast where it's hot and humid mosquitoes are a major annoyance, and I have a bayou running right behind my back yard.  God please don't let this "Zika" spread to Texas!

[whitey]

We just came back from two weeks in Barranquilla/Cartagena last week and Nazly came down with el Zika about 1 week into the trip.


For her, the symptoms were pink eye, headache sometimes, swollen feet and hands (could barely get her ring off), and loss of appetite - no fever.  All in all, it wasn't too bad and didn't set her back much.  We were still out everyday doing what we planned to do.


She's also had a runny nose and cough for the last week ... we're not sure if it is part of the virus or whether she also picked up a cold.


I also had swollen hands and feet, but no other symptoms ... so could have just been the heat and humidity.


Be careful down there Benjio ... the mosquitos are almost as dangerous as the barranquilleras! 

[whitey]

Since this crappy interface caused me to double-post, thought I'd add a few photos ...

[vikingo]

A lovely woman, Whitey, a great smile and those sparkling eyes...
You are indeed blessed.

[fathertime]

Since this crappy interface caused me to double-post, thought I'd add a few photos ...

Nice photos of you and your lovely wife Whitey...


I'm really surprised to hear how many posters here, and family members have been getting ill from this virus. 


Fathertime! 

[whitey]

Thanks guys.  Forgot to mention that most of her family has had it as well.  Almost all of them had chikunguna last year ... it was much worse.

[Awesome]

Since this crappy interface caused me to double-post, thought I'd add a few photos ...

Great fotos whitey!

[utopiacowboy]

Since this crappy interface caused me to double-post, thought I'd add a few photos ...

I think you need to double post in every thread and post photos of yourself and your beautiful wife!

[Juan Valdez]

Beautiful wife, Whitey!

Is your wife a Barranquillera?

How did you meet her?

[bcc_1_2]

this is another tropical disease right?

[Kiltboy1]

Since this crappy interface caused me to double-post, thought I'd add a few photos ...

Great Pics Whitey !

KB

[whitey]

FT, apologies if I've derailed your topic.

Beautiful wife, Whitey!

Is your wife a Barranquillera?

How did you meet her?

Juan, yes, my wife is barranquillera.  Short story is a friend of mine introduced us online to study Spanish-English together, we corresponded for 9 months, then I went to visit her in person and asked her to be my novia back in Sept 2008. Approx. 10 trips and 2 years later we were married in Barranquilla, and she has been here with me in Canada for 4.5 years.

Cheers ... Whitey

[robert angel]

FT, apologies if I've derailed your topic.

Juan, yes, my wife is barranquillera.  Short story is a friend of mine introduced us online to study Spanish-English together, we corresponded for 9 months, then I went to visit her in person and asked her to be my novia back in Sept 2008. Approx. 10 trips and 2 years later we were married in Barranquilla, and she has been here with me in Canada for 4.5 years.

Cheers ... Whitey

Only 4.5 years? Hard to put it into words--on the one hand, it seemed when we met you two it was like you were together 45 years-- as tight and together with each other as pages in a great, thick book, just aged very, very, very well. Then at the same time, you had the excitement and energy--synergy  of a couple 'meant to be' from the start and on a first date. Funny how we both waited a while--years in fact, before actually getting married, but so far, so good!

Anyways---back to topic--we just got back from the Florida Keys and we're doubling down to Honduras and Belize next month and hope that Zika virus  is over and done by then!

[fathertime]

FT, apologies if I've derailed your topic.

It's all of our topic Whitey, and I am happy to see the topic wander wherever it wants to go!
 

[/size][size=78%]Fathertime!     [/size]

[Kiltboy1]

Coming soon to a town near you.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/01/20/florida-illinois-report-travel-related-zika-cases.html

[John W]

My Wife is from Cartagena.  So far, only one person in her family has contracted Zika.  I saw a few days ago that the US issued a travel warning for pregnant women not to travel to several countries in Latin America where the virus is active.  I believe the woman in Hawaii who is the first confirmed US infection that resulted in a birth defect, that she had spent a month in Brazil during her pregnancy.  This virus is really scary for women who are pregnant or might get pregnant.