Travel Alert: Tropical Island Confirms Unique Health Risk for Women

(KMDL-FM) For most of us, the thought of a getaway to a tropical island includes warm sun, white sand, gentle breezes, and waves softly cascading against the shore. That's the travel brochure version of a tropical getaway. The reality is, there are a lot of real-world problems you still have to deal with, even if you're visiting paradise.

READ MORE: Gulf Coast Cruises on This Popular Line Will Cost More in April

Most of us who travel are at least vaguely aware of certain travel restrictions that have been put in place for various reasons. Most of the time, the United States Department of State issues a travel adivsory it is concerning the safety of American citizens.

Get our free mobile app

What Countries Currently Have Travel Advisories?

Lately, a lot of tropical destinations have come under scrutiny for the "bad behavior" of the locals onshore. That's a nice way of saying that crime is up in many Caribbean ports of call, and the cruise industry, the travel industry, and the U.S. Department of State have taken notice.

Incidentally, if you do have travel plans outside of the United States, you can always access the Department of State's updated travel advisories online. The advisories offer common-sense information on where you should visit and where you should stay away from during your journey. However, even with this updated information, our advice to you would be trust your own instincts. If it doesn't feel right, don't go there.

And while most of the travel advisories that we see in the U.S., especially for tropical destinations has to do with crime and staying safe from crime every now and then, we get an advisory that is less about bad guys and more about bad bugs. Yeah, we have an insect advisory.

Of course, the insect that is causing all the trouble is quite familiar here in the Gulf South, that would be the mosquito. In this case, the Centers for Disease Control are warning travelers of an outbreak of chikungunya. The illness is carried by mosquitoes and is quite common in the islands of the Caribbean, Africa, and in many Asian countries, too.

What is the Reason For Health Advisories in Tropical Destinations?

The symptoms of chikungunya include fever, muscle and joint pain, and some swelling in joints. The symptoms of the disease usually show up between four and eight days after you've been bitten.  In most cases, people do get better within one week. Of course, there could be a bigger issue if you're female and pregnant.

The disease can be especially troublesome for women who are pregnant. The virus can be spread from the mother to the unborn child. There have been reports that newborns who are infected with chikungunya this way are at risk for severe illness or even death.

READ MORE: Cruise Line Changes Embarkation Day Policy for All Gulf Cruises

An outbreak of the disease in the Seychelles has prompted the CDC to issue a Level 2: Practice Enhanced Precaution alert. As of this time, we know of no nations in the Caribbean that are under any similar order. But many of those nations are included in other travel advisories.

In order to avoid exposure to the disease, everyone is advised to use normal mosquito mitigation measures. Those include wearing proper clothing, using proper mosquito repellants, and avoiding being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active.