Traveling to Mexico? Be aware of mosquito-borne illnesses
California health officials have issued a travel warning for people heading to Mexico: mosquito-borne illnesses of dengue and chikungunya are persistent in the Latin American…
The Metropolitan Cathedral at the Zocolo square in Mexico City, Mexico. It is the largest cathedral in the Americas and seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico (Photo: Shutterstock)
California health officials have issued a travel warning for people heading to Mexico: mosquito-borne illnesses of dengue and chikungunya are persistent in the Latin American nation, and travel-related cases in the U.S. are on the rise.
“In 2014, 126 cases of dengue and 119 cases of chikungunya were reported in California, all with a history of travel to areas where transmission of those diseases was occurring,” reads the warning.
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“Of the reported cases, 67 dengue and 103 chikungunya cases had a history of travel to Latin America. The number of reported California dengue cases with a history of travel to Mexico has increased in the last two years, 64 in 2013-2014 compared with 17 in 2010-2012.”
Dengue, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is a viral infection transmitted by infected mosquitoes that causes flu-like symptoms can can sometimes evolve into a severe hemorrhagic fever. Though most individuals can recover from dengue, severe dengue can result in internal blood plasma leakage, fluid accumulation, respiratory distress, severe bleeding, or organ impairment.
Traveling to Mexico? Remember these mosquito tips. (Shutterstock)
Chikungunya is typically less severe when compared to dengue, but also presents with flu-like symptoms. This mosquito-borne illness is often accompanied by severe, sometimes debilitating joint pain that may last for years. While chikungunya doesn’t have a more deadly form as does dengue, it has been known to contribute to death in elderly or otherwise unhealthy individuals.
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With mosquito-borne illnesses at a high in Mexico, officials have released the following travel recommendations:
- Use insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or para-menthane-diol for long lasting protection. If you use both sunscreen and insect repellent, apply the sunscreen first and then the repellent.
- When weather permits, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
- Use air conditioning or window/door screens to keep mosquitoes outside. If you are not able to protect yourself from mosquitoes inside your home or hotel, sleep under a mosquito bed net.
- Help reduce the number of mosquitoes outside your home or hotel room by emptying standing water from containers such as flowerpots or buckets.
