Zika Virus Mosquitoes Guatemala?

Zika Virus Mosquitoes Guatemala? Guatemala has mosquitos, but the amount varies by region and time of year. Mosquitos are most plentiful during the rainy season — during this time of year be sure to protect yourself using bug spray, long-sleeved shirts, and long-sleeved pants.

Sleeping in rooms with screens over the windows and/or mosquito netting is also a good idea. Rural regions, especially in lowland coastal areas, tend to have more mosquitoes than the highlands.

Mosquitoes can transmit two serious diseases – malaria and dengue fever. Malaria tablets are available and recommended if you are planning to travel in rural areas at altitudes lower than 1500m, especially in the rainy season (June to November).

Zika Virus Mosquitoes Guatemala

In the winter months of mid-May to October or November, the climate in Guatemala is generally very rainy. The rainy season usually brings periodical tropical showers in the late afternoons. From November through April are the dry summer weather months in Guatemala.

It’s worth noting that there is no malaria risk in Antigua or around Lake Atitlán.

The best prevention against mosquito-borne diseases is to avoid getting bitten. In high-risk areas this means a DEET-based insect repellent (bring one from home), long sleeves and pant legs, avoiding being outside around sunrise and sunset, and checking window screens and mosquito nets in hotel rooms for holes where mosquitoes can enter.
Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/guatemala/health#ixzz3yOINFmXh

On January 15, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a first-of-its-kind travel alert: American women of childbearing age, whether pregnant or not, we’re told to avoid countries where the Zika virus has been circulating. At the same time, women in countries that already have Zika outbreaks have been told to avoid getting pregnant.

Zika Virus Mosquitoes Guatemala

That’s because Zika, a tropical disease carried from person to person by mosquitoes, has been linked to birth defects and deaths in newborns in Brazil.

Researchers currently believe the Zika virus is spread mainly through mosquitoes. A mosquito bites an infected person draws blood and contracts the virus. When it then goes and bites another person, the virus spreads.

Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites. The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week. Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon.

In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil. The outbreak in Brazil led to reports of Guillain-Barre syndrome and pregnant women giving birth to babies with birth defects and poor pregnancy outcomes.