Women who are pregnant or are trying to or planning to become pregnant should postpone their non – essential travel to areas where there is active transmission of Zika virus. This includes South and Central America and the Caribbean. [1,2]. This advice is given due to the increasing evidence associating microcephaly in developing foetuses and Zika virus infection. All women must practice scrupulous mosquito bite avoidance.
Joint advice for Healthcare professionals who might be consulted by patients, has been issued by: PHE, the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Royal College of General (RCGP) Practitioners. It includes the following:
- Pregnant women returning from the infected areas
- Pre-departure advice
- Current symptoms associated with Zika infections and medical complications which may present
- Advice about Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Zika virus and immunosuppressed patients.
Precautions to prevent Male to Female sexual transmission should be taken if men have travelled to the area and return to their partner who might be pregnant, or planning to become pregnant.
- Use a condom for six months if you have symptoms of Zika
- Use a condom on return for a month if no symptoms are present.
Partners of pregnant women are advised to use condoms for the duration of pregnancy if they know they may have been infected with Zika.
References
- ‘Zika virus: updated travel advice for pregnant women’, PHE website news story, 1 March 2016.
- National Travel Health Network and Centre (2 March). Zika – Risk Assessment.
- PHE, BMA, RCGP (February 2016). Zika virus infection: guidance for primary care(updated 1 March).
- Zika virus: health protection guidance collection (updated 3 March).
Written by Jackie Peck