A pregnant woman holds her belly as she stands near the beach.
Pregnant women, or those seeking to become pregnant, should avoid areas where the Zika virus has been detected. (For Spectrum Health Beat)

Pregnant women who plan to vacation in a warmer climate may need to change their travel plans.

New federal guidelines warn pregnant women against travel to areas where the mosquito-borne Zika virus has surfaced—including Central and South America, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, Samoa in Polynesia and Cape Verde, off the coast of Africa.

Health officials believe the virus may cause a birth defect called microcephaly, which causes a baby to have a small head and severe brain damage.

“If you were a pregnant female, I would be highly reluctant about travel to those areas,” said Russell Lampen, DO, the division chief of infectious disease at Spectrum Health. “Go to Florida, Texas or Arizona—but stay away from Mexico or the tropics. Or just enjoy the beautiful winter weather in Michigan.”

Those planning to become pregnant soon also should reconsider their travel plans, he said. The incubation period for the virus is two weeks.

“You don’t want this to be your conception trip,” Dr. Lampen advised. “You want to wait to get home and make sure you’re healthy before you conceive.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention included the travel advisory in interim guidelines issued Tuesday, Jan. 19, regarding pregnant women and the Zika virus. For those who do travel to areas where the virus is present, health officials urge the following steps to avoid mosquito bites:

  • Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants.
  • Use mosquito repellents, including those that contain DEET.
  • Sleep in screened areas.

Eighty percent of those infected with Zika virus will show no symptoms, according to the CDC. And for those who become ill, the symptoms are usually mild and can include a rash, fever, joint pain and conjunctivitis.

The travel advisory focuses on pregnant women because of the risks to an unborn child, said George Fogg, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.

In Brazil, officials believe Zika may be linked to a surge in cases of infants born with microcephaly—more than 3,500 between October and January. The country typically sees 150 cases a year.

“It seems like the virus infects the pregnant mother and crosses the placenta to infect the fetal brain tissue,” Dr. Fogg said. “It can cause brain damage.”

If the infection occurs during the first trimester, when the brain is growing and developing, the baby’s head will not grow as quickly and the head will be small. The effects are unknown in later stages of pregnancy.

The CDC advises U.S. physicians to screen pregnant women for Zika virus if they have traveled to areas where it is present. However, there is no antiviral treatment or vaccine for the disease, Dr. Fogg said.

“There’s nothing we can do for the mom or the baby,” he said. “It’s a preventable but not a treatable disease.”

Treatment recommendations focus on easing symptoms—acetaminophen is advised for those with a fever.

Drs. Fogg and Lampen said they have not heard of any cases reported in West Michigan.

The Aedes mosquito, which transmits Zika virus, also transmits dengue and chikungunya virus. It is a daytime-biting mosquito that tends to be found in urban areas.

The weather is too cold for the mosquitoes in most of the U.S., Fogg said.

Read more about Spectrum Health Medical Group infectious disease specialists and the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital infectious disease program.