Chikungunya Fever Rampant In Caribbean

I have a cruise on November 30 on the Independence of the seas. Has anyone heard of Chikungunya Fever? The article my dad sent me says it is rampant in the Caribbean, especially the three islands I'm going to. The CDC says it won't kill you just sideline you for a week :eek:. Should I stay on the ship? What can I do?

According to the CDC it's "level 1" - which I imagine is the lowest level of possible problems.

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/chikungunya-saint-martin

If the info your dad got was from any kind of normal news source it was probably blown way out of proportion.

The CDC article is probably much more balanced. Sounds like mosquito repellants with DEET work fairly well. And the odds are you're not going to be going deep in the jungle where mosquitoes would be more of a problem.

It is not rampant in the Caribbean.

Keith

Was it this article?

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2014/11/09/chikungunya-fever-rampant-in-puerto-rico/

I wouldn't get too worked up about it. Wear insect repellant if you're worried.

Deet

We stayed in San Juan a few days before our cruise and even they are taking some precautions.... Bug Spray! Each port we stopped at in the Caribbean the guides recommended spraying on some OFF with Deet... no bites, no fever and I didn't hear of anyone getting sick. I didnt' even feel as though there were A LOT of bugs, etc... but we sprayed anyway and we were fine. Buy a bottle at first stop, or before and take it with you.

Didn't see any bugs on my Southern Caribbean cruise last week. Had the bug spray but never even remembered to use it! Oh well, DH will use it during hunting season or we will use it next summer. Too cold here for any mosquitoes!!

It's a mosquito-borne illness....you are unlikely to encounter mosquitoes in the daytime....if you were camping in the "wilds", then you should worry.

It's a mosquito-borne illness....you are unlikely to encounter mosquitoes in the daytime....if you were camping in the "wilds", then you should worry.

One of the oddities about chikungunya is that the mosquito vectors (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus) are active and biting during the day, especially in the morning. Which is to say they are not crepuscular.

Here's the informative NYT piece on this which advises awareness not panic.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/09/travel/a-mosquito-borne-virus-sweeps-the-caribbean.html?_r=0

Unlike the mosquitoes that carry malaria that bite at night, the mosquitoes that bite for chikungunya are present during the day. Wear your bug spray....nasty bug....

Thank you so much for responding to my post:D I will take the extra precautions.