Every year, a small suburban town called Twinsburg, Ohio hosts the Twins Days Festival — the largest gathering of twins in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
27.07.2023 - 18:04 / smartertravel.com
Although a lot has changed since the Zika outbreak in 2015-16, Zika is still a concern for some travelers.
What’s Changed with Zika Since 2015-16?The good news is that there were no reported cases of local mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission in the continental U.S. in 2018 or 2019. There are also several clinical trials in progress that are investigating a vaccine, according to Dr. Ashley Lipps, an infectious disease physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. But currently, there is no specific antiviral medication that has proven to be successful.
Dr. Amesh A. Adalja, a Senior Scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, advises that “the circulation of the virus has gone down since its peak in this hemisphere [Western] as so many were infected in the first waves, that immunity in the population is high. It will continue to be a threat in the future though as the requisite mosquito populations are in place in many areas and there is no vaccine.” He also notes that vaccine development is ongoing but could take years.
Last year, the CDC updated its labeling system so you can tell if a country either has a current Zika outbreak, has ever reported Zika cases (past or current), has a low likelihood of Zika infection because of high elevation, has a mosquito type that carries Zika but no Zika cases, or has no mosquitos that spread Zika.
Check out the map on the CDC’s website to see where the virus has been active or search for specific destinations.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Visiting a Travel Clinic I Have Travel Plans to an Area That Had/Has Reported Zika Cases …If you’re healthy and not currently pregnant, there is no reason for you to avoid travel to a destination that at one point in time reported local transmission of Zika. However, it’s recommended that you take certain precautions, like mosquito-bite prevention and having only protected sex, both during and after your travels. There is currently no vaccine or medication for the virus, so mosquito-bite prevention is key. Using EPA-registered insect repellents, covering exposed skin, wearing light-colored clothing, sleeping inside or in screened-in rooms, and wearing pre-treated clothing and gear can help prevent bites. Read full information on traveling and Zika here.
Currently, the only travel notice from the CDC is a Level 2 – Practice Enhanced Precautions warning for travelers to areas with a Zika outbreak (red areas on the map). As of January 2020, there are no areas with a current Zika outbreak.
If you are trying to get pregnant, or your partner is trying to get pregnant, then you may want to reconsider travel because of the virus’s link to birth defects and complications. View the above
Every year, a small suburban town called Twinsburg, Ohio hosts the Twins Days Festival — the largest gathering of twins in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
I was waiting in my hotel lobby for an Uber to take me to the annual Twins Days Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio when I met Dina Brewer and Rina Nicholas, 67, who came all the way from California. Like me, it was also their first year attending the event, and none of us realized the difficulties of getting a rideshare in suburban Ohio.
Large wildfires burning across the islands of Maui and Hawaii, fueled by intense winds, turned scenic beach destinations into smoky, catastrophic scenes on Wednesday. The fast-moving flames have scorched hundreds of acres, destroyed homes and businesses, and prompted a series of evacuation orders, road closures, and power and cellphone service outages. At least six people have died.
Finding amazing local ice cream shops can be one of the best parts of summer travel. Luckily, many of those shops are now offering delivery around the country and some brands are even being sold in your own local grocery stores, thanks to popular demand.
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Inspired to live life more fully following the death of a friend, New Jersey native Tom Turcich, set himself a goal to see and experience the world on foot.
The chance to spot a bear, bison, or bald eagle in the wild is one of the major reasons travelers visit the United States’ 63 national parks. You might assume that a megafauna mecca like Yellowstone National Park would offer the best odds of seeing multiple animals.
Zika virus, the mosquito-related disease that’s prompted travel advisories across the Caribbean as well as Central and South America, is now in Southeast Asia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
The Zika virus continues to spread and is drastically affecting countries throughout Central and South America, as well as Mexico. At a press conference today, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that there is now a “public health emergency of international concern” over the clusters of microcephaly in Brazil and the suspected (although not scientifically proven) link to microcephaly and birth defects. It’s important to note that this is not a declaration for the actual Zika virus. WHO also stated that “there should be no restrictions on travel or trade with countries, areas and/or territories with Zika virus transmission.”
A new report from the House Homeland Security subcommittee reveals concerns over “inconsistent screening of airport employees,” according to CNN, along with “insufficient TSA access to intelligence information used to vet individuals and inadequate control of access to sensitive areas of airports.”
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on January 25, 2016 and was updated in December 2018. Please consult this article: Do You Still Need to Worry About the Zika Virus for 2019? for the latest info.
If there’s one thing Disney knows how to do, it’s build anticipation for a coming attraction. Whether it’s a Marvel movie trailer or the opening of a new theme park, the Mouse is no slouch at generating buzz. So maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised when an Adventures by Disney package arrived at my home a month before my family trip to Iceland with Disney’s high-end group vacation company.