Travel health risk assessment provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada
Zika virus symptoms to watch for. Diagnosis and treatment
Current diagnosis is done through blood, urine or saliva tests that check for the presence of the virus while the person is ill. Treatment is based on symptom re-
lief as there is currently no prophylaxis, vaccine or treatment for Zika virus. Ac- etaminophen (paracetamol) is helpful; however, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and other nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs should be avoided until dengue has been ruled out. Travel advice — who is at risk?
Travellers visiting countries where the Zika virus is present are at risk of being infected. Te Aedes mosquitoes that spread the virus are active during daylight and evening hours. It is recom- mended that travellers take preventative measures such as using insect repellent, covering up with clothing, and using mosquito nets. Te Public Health Agency of Canada
recommends that pregnant women and those planning a pregnancy avoid travel to countries with ongoing Zika virus outbreaks. If travel cannot be avoided or postponed, strict mosquito bite preven- tion measures should be followed due to the association between Zika virus infection and increased risk of serious health effects on their unborn baby. If you develop symptoms that could be consistent with Zika
virus
thehubwinnipeg.com infection
while travelling or within two weeks after your arrival home, you should con- sult a health care provider. For women planning a pregnancy, it is strongly rec- ommended that you wait at least two months before trying to conceive to ensure that any possible Zika virus in- fection has cleared your body. If you are pregnant, or you have underlying medi- cal conditions, or you develop more seri- ous symptoms that could be consistent with Zika virus infection, you should see a health care provider and tell them where you have been travelling or living. How does Canada monitor Zika virus?
Canadian health professionals play
a critical role in the identification and documentation of cases of the infection. Travellers who think they may be in- fected should report to their local public health authority in order to be tested. Currently there are no reports of the mosquitoes that spread the virus in Canada due to our cooler climate. How- ever, there have been travel-related cases reported in individuals returning from countries with outbreaks. As of this printing there have been 232
travel-related cases, two locally acquired cases through sexual transmission, and three maternal to child reported in Can- ada. Tere's ongoing low risk to Canadi- ans travelling to countries with reported locally acquired Zika virus.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) actively seeks to identify and evaluate information about new, unusual or rapidly evolving health risks. When necessary, PHAC releases Travel Health Notices outlining the potential risks to Canadian travellers and to the Cana- dian public and recommends measures that can be taken to help reduce these risks by level. Level 1 - Practice usual precautions, Level 2 - Practice special precautions (Issued during an outbreak in a limited geographic location, a newly identified disease in the region or a change in the existing pattern of disease.), and Level 3 - Avoid non-essen- tial travel.
The Zika virus infection is currently clas- sified as Level 2.
Countries with known Zika virus infection as of August 2016:
Anguilla, American Samoa, Argentina, Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bonaire, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Domini- can Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Laos, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mexico, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, Saint-Barthé- lemy, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sint Maarten, Southern U.S., Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, United States Virgin Islands, Venezuela, Vietnam
Information gathered from the Public Health Agency of Canada website and
travel.gc.ca.
Fall 2016 • 61
Illustration by Beth Herlin.
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