For anyone who has been following the news, the Zika virus is sweeping the headlines. The safety of our volunteers is our biggest priority, so it is important to understand the facts of the disease and take the appropriate precautions to avoid transmission.
About the virus
- The Zika virus is transmitted by mosquitoes
- The incubation period (the time from exposure to when symptoms appear) is a few days to a week
- The most common symptoms of the disease are fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis (red eyes), muscle pain, and headache
- Prevention techniques focus on reducing mosquito bites and include using insect repellent; wearing clothes that cover as much as the body as possible; using physical barriers such as screens, closed doors, and windows; and sleeping under mosquito nets
Zika is usually relatively mild and requires no specific treatment, and symptoms typically last two to seven days. People sick with Zika virus should get plenty of rest, drink enough fluids, and treat pain and fever with common medicines. If symptoms worsen, they should seek care and advice from healthcare providers. Researchers are currently investigating a potential link between the Zika virus in pregnant women and a congenital birth defect called microcephaly. Travel precautions are stronger for pregnant women and for women who are planning to become pregnant.
For more information about Zika and its symptoms, click here.
Click here to see a list of the latest updated countries and territories in which Zika is circulating.
Zika virus in United Planet Quest locations
At this time, the Zika virus should not affect Quests to the majority of United Planet’s Short-term Quest locations. Here is an update for each location in Central and South America:
Ecuador: Zika has only been confirmed in Ecuador in tropical, coastal, and jungle areas. Because all United Planet programs in Quito are at high enough altitudes that mosquitos cannot survive, Zika does not pose a threat for United Planet Ecuador volunteers.
Peru: Zika has only been detected in Lima, Peru. All United Planet Peru volunteers work in Cusco, which is at a high enough altitude that mosquitos cannot survive, and therefore do not pose a threat.
Chile: Zika virus has not yet been detected in Chile.
Cuba and Costa Rica: There were very few cases of Zika virus reported in Cuba and Costa Rica, so the risk of infection remains low. However, we encourage our volunteers traveling to these destinations to take preventive measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites.
All volunteers who have enrolled in a Quest are provided with an emergency medical insurance policy. During our pre-departure training, volunteers are advised on health and safety precautions to take while volunteering abroad. If you are enrolled in a Quest, we encourage you to speak with your doctor about what precautions to take, and to get additional insurance coverage, such as trip cancellation insurance, in case you wish to change your plans.
United Planet closely follows the travel alerts and warnings issued by the U.S. state department and we make changes to our programs based on this information. As of April 11, 2016, all of our Quest programs continue as normal. If the threat of the Zika virus appears or increases in our program locations, then we will re-assess the situation by carefully considering the level of risk.
Learn more by visiting the Health and Safety page of our website and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), February 2016
World Health Organization (WHO), January 2016
ABOUT UNITED PLANET
United Planet is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. Established in 2001, United Planet offers volunteer abroad, virtual internships, internships abroad, gap year volunteering, and global virtual exchange in more than 40 countries.
