Cuba reports an increasing number of people infected with Zika virus

Among the many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that are reporting transmission of the Zika virus, Cuba has also diagnosed almost 1,900 cases of the disease. High risk provinces include Havana, Guantanamo, Cienfuegos and Camaguey.

Advice

The risk of exposure to this virus may be high. The risk of exposure for the general traveller in any particular location is difficult to estimate since so many infected people have no symptoms and are not recorded officially. There may be many infected people in the community.

There is no vaccine or specific treatment for this infection. Travellers can minimize the risk of exposure by taking all necessary precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

There is strong scientific evidence that this virus is the cause of microcephaly (small brain) and other neurological abnormalities in newborn infants. The World Health Organization advises that pregnant women should not travel to areas with Zika virus outbreaks.