Zika virus in New Caledonia

Received a message today from P&O to advice that the Zika virus has been found in New Caledonia. We are there on the Xmas cruise with an 18 month old , should we be worried?

105 views and no opinions?

Just take all the same precautions you would with any other mosquito-born disease. A good insect repellent, be careful around still-water holes and be alert around dusk and dawn (when mosquitoes are on the move).

With a young-one, you may need to get advice from a pharmacist or doctor on the sort of insect repellent you can use. Some commercial ones may be too harsh for their skin.

Do what you can to be prepared. Then try to relax and have fun!

As said above , take precautions. A good spray is one that contains "deet"

Dont forget .....there is dengue fever up there as well.:eek:

Thanks all, is this a cancellation reason do you think, not comfortable taking a toddler into somewhere that is potentially dangerous for her.

Doesn't seem like this should cause more harm than any other virus to those groups. The only one with greater risk are those pregnant/trying to get pregnant.

Thanks all, is this a cancellation reason do you think, not comfortable taking a toddler into somewhere that is potentially dangerous for her.

If you are not comfortable, then you should do what is right for you and your family. However, I'm not sure whether it is an adequate 'cancellation reason' for insurance purposes, if that is what you are getting at. P&O will let you cancel - no problem - just bare in mind they will keep a % of what you've paid depending on how far away from your cruise you are. It is then a matter of discussion for your insurance and, like I said, I'm not sure where they stand on cancellation due to infection diseases.

But before you cancel, remember that you don't have to get off the ship when in port. You can be happy and relatively safe staying on board. Take your precautions and you should be fine.

We are cruising in a couple of weeks with our family including twin two year olds. I've been reading up and spoken to the chemist. I've bought wrist band, they can also be worn on the ankle. They have a small pellet of repellent inserted safely and this apparently last about 2 weeks. The pellet can be replaced for longer use of the band and can be worn in the water while swimming. They come in pink & blue for the kids and were $30 each. I have been told that the Reject Shop has the same ones for about $5 each, I haven't checked those out myself though.

Enjoy your cruise :)