Hi,

I'm traveling to Orlando in five weeks. I'm currently pregnant even thou Zika is in the Miami area, unless it spreads are plans we think we will still be going.

Just wondering what it's actually like in the US / Florida. My doctor or midwife, just state it's out choice and to advoid Miami.

I feel like a lot of papers are using scare tactics

Thank you

Nothing yet transmitted by local mosquitoes in Orlando, although we do have some cases that were acquired elsewhere. To my knowledge, nobody is panicked here. Last night the mosquito spray truck did come through our neighborhood, but that is pretty much a normal summer occurrence.

Take the recommended precautions about using mosquito repellent (check with your doctor about what is safe to use during pregnancy), covering up, etc. Five weeks is a long time and things may change between now and then, so stay abreast of developments.

I think sludick's advice is spot on. I do not think that there are any "scare tactics" being used by anyone. Only you can decide if your trip is worth the risk.

Thanks for the advice. When i put scare tactics, it was probably the wrong wording. I've been to Florida many time and I'm just struggling with how it's been generalised that you should put off visiting if it's not of urgent nature to the whole of the state when it's just active within a mile.

Thank you again, we will just see what happens.

Do keep up on the situation by reading the cdc webpages. I find the cdc very thorough and complete and no exaggeration of risks. www.cdc.gov

Other destination but related: God Honest Truth-- I have been to Puerto Rico twice this year. My family lives in Puerto Rico in what could be considered a rural area. I NEVER came across ANYBODY who remotely knew ANYBODY who had the symptoms or been diagnosed with the Zika virus. Furthermore, my sister is an RN. She has not met anybody who has Zika. A radio station in PR did a contest awarding $150 to anybody who could show a medical certificate with a Zika diagnosis. In a country having the economic difficulties that PR is currently having take a guess how many $150 were awarded? The answer is ZERO. They could not find one person with a written diagnosis of Zika. I have been to Puerto Rico twice this year and, based on these experiences, I would not hesitate whatsoever to go again.

Never been one for conspiracy theories, but this one has me scratching my head......

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/zik...-virus-n630131

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/...us-puerto-rico

The Zika situation in PR is serious. I'm going to put my trust into reliable news sources and the cdc, over anecdotal evidence and a radio station gimmick, thanks.

Sorry, but given the possible catastrophic consequences I would not be going anywhere near FL if I were pregnant.

I know it seems unbelievable but we have quite a few cases in NYC (more than 50) but that people contracted in the Carib or Latin America, and at least one woman has had a baby with hydrocephalus. Our mosquitos are not the type that carry Zika but the city is spraying anything that moves (they spray for mosquitoes every summer for other diseases). But until congress get's off it's ass and approves the money that the CDC needs to complete the vaccine we don;t know what will happen/if it will spread.

Hilarious!!! I visited the island, talked about FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE and been told they rather believe the news. This is hilarious!! OK, now I am starting to understand why and how this country is where is at....hey, I have no "dog on this fight". Believe whatever you want my friend. Safe travels.

Everyone please stay home. We Floridians will have no traffic, no lines at the theme parks, no waiting at restaurants, be able to get a parking space at the beach and maybe hotel rates and airplane tickets will drop in price.
I am more worried about all the chemicals that are being bombed on us daily now.

Viajero2, I think you need to "understand" where Puerto Rico "is at" and it has little to do with Zika.

My first-hand experience tells me to ignore Viajero2's first-hand experience.

....and I am laughing loud as I read this hysteria-driven arguments.....and please let my family and friends in Puerto Rico know if you meet a case of Zika in the island. They are so curious to see what it looks like!

Are you serious? YOu think the govt is fabricating official report statistics? Just because you personally have not run into a family or friend who has Zika or knows someone who has does not remotely mean no one in PR has Zika. Talk about paranoid, what would be the goal here.

I wouldn't be going to Florida, either, if I were pregnant, but it's your call. Of course it's your choice, why wouldn't it be? The counties with the most cases are Miami, Broward and Orange (where Orlando is about 58 cases so far). But those cases did not necessarily occur in those locales, the Orlando area people could have gotten them in Miami. None of this is a secret, you can read about this in the press. There isn't some big coverup going on that there are more cases not reported, nor are newspapers fabricating cases.

Viajero2's "point" about never having seen a case of Zika is ridiculous. Zika produces a very mild fever and a tiny rash--most people who have it don't know they were exposed, and it's not a big deal, UNLESS you are or become pregnant. Then your baby will be born with microcephaly. That is, obviously, a big deal.

I live in Florida and am not at all worried about Zika, but people interested in becoming parents soon view it very differently.

I took my babies to the Big Island last Christmas even though a dengue fever outbreak was keeping my local relatives away. So I don't consider myself an alarmist (and I ate soft serve ice cream twice when pregnant with the idea that McD would have the most rigorous cleaning process in place and that I wouldn't expose my baby to listeria.) But if it were me, I would not be traveling to Southern Florida if I were pregnant. Everyone's different with what kind of risks they're comfortable taking.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/heal...e66790817.html

Daily zika virus tracker

I wish all the spraying would at least kill the no see ums.

Orlando is NOT "South Florida."

Dukey, I suppose you never even looked at the link. I will tell you then. It shows all the cases in Fl and those in red are the ones that were infected in the state and those that weren't. Orlando is free and clear, your part of the woods is not. I do know that central Fl is not South Florida but this is a state wide map that might help with the hysteria of not going to other parts of the state.

An article in today's New York Times makes the point that Zika is an STD as well as a mosquito-borne virus, and thus of grave concern to anyone anywhere of child bearing age who is sexually active.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/21/op...f=opinion&_r=0