Mosquito-Borne Chikungunya Virus...PLEASE TAKE MOSQUITO SPRAY, this is serious

[happymoes]

Dear CC Family,

 

We returned back on the Allure of the Seas on Sunday 06/08 and did the Western route to Labadee, Haiti; Falmouth, Jamaica and Cozumel, Mexico. For the first time ever, a mosquito bite went from a dime size to an orange size on my leg. Along with a fever of 104, sore throat, cancer sore on my tongue, lymph node under my left arm, severe back pain, cold sweats, hives all over my body and the inability to move my arms or walk!

 

Luckily with the proper medical attention and anti-biotics I survived but it ruined the last couple days of my cruise. Please take heed to this warning in the news and use mosquito/bug spray while visiting the Caribbean.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/more-states-report-cases-mosquito-borne-chikungunya-virus-204725288.html;_ylt=A0LEVxLgTJtTuUUAYP9XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTByaHEyNGMxBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1VJQzFfMQ--

 

Thanks for reading and take care!

 

WOW!!! We were on same cruise and ALL of us got bitten badly after our Jamaica day!! (showed up June 5th)....

BIG bites but no other symptoms....

THANKFUL you are OK!!! and bummed that you missed out on part of the cruise bc of that...:(

[pcur]

We did a 2 month trip across the South Pacific this past March-May, and used these products.

 

I sprayed the clothes a few weeks before the trip. No staining, no odor, either. My husband make me a makeshift clothes line and I just took all his shirts and all my tops and capris out and sprayed them. I left them hanging until they were dry (very quickly if there's a breeze), and that was it!

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ANQVYU/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Then, I also took this for a skin repellant:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVB44E/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Dr. Pam]

OK...so I am totally watching this thread! We are planning on the Western Carib itinerary for New Years on the Allure.....this could be enough to encourage me to change our plans for a trip to Maui instead of this cruise. No flamin', folks, but we all need to return from our holidays in a healthy state.

[musicman85]

Going to labadee in three weeks, I'm not sure what to do now. I'm mosquito prone and regular bites swell up to the size of golf balls. In st Maarten we have the sea and see excursion. Sea is a sub tour and the see is a bus option.

 

 

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[CVU]

I hope we are kept informed on any others with problems, we are booked in Jan/15 on IOS and may avoid the ports and enjoy the ship!

[Life is Good Cruising]

Going to labadee in three weeks, I'm not sure what to do now. I'm mosquito prone and regular bites swell up to the size of golf balls. In st Maarten we have the sea and see excursion. Sea is a sub tour and the see is a bus option.

 

 

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We were in Labadee & St. Maarten a few weeks ago, 3rd time this year and have never seen any sightings of mosquitoes on either island. We've been bringing Deet with us for over a year and have yet to use the repellent.

 

If your mosquito prone bring Deet, spray your entire body and clothes and you should be fine.

[homeschoolmama]

More than worth the cost of insurance which is less than her 800$ ship's doctor bill. We always bring travel size off. May consider going to my dr. For a preventative antibiotic too. We always carry a medical kit when we travel, now will just add a few more things.

 

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[Sitzmark]

FYI, antibiotics do not treat viruses. Additionally there is no known effective treatment for chikungunya virus other than lots of fluids and rest.

[New2cruise1483]

Make sure you get a GOOD spray too. Id recommend something like this below.

 

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_27296_-1__?N=401310245&affcode=42&kwid=ps_cse&cid=PLA_004775987&gclid=CjgKEAjwwuqcBRCSuoivmIPnkwQSJACpqj3k8Fhd5u6dPOHR5SWgcibSMdqNrSkMH6uGAltQH6B6hPD_BwE

 

Id also highly recommend a Thermacell as well if someone is going to be sitting around anywhere for an extended time down there but they may not allow it onboard. I just dont know.

 

http://www.cabelas.com/product/ThermaCELL-Mosquito-Repellent-Olive-Drab-Appliance/1220217.uts?productVariantId=2979916&WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=1220217&rid=40&channel=GoogleBaseUSA&mr:trackingCode=628BD3DC-C393-E011-9A77-001B21631C34&mr:referralID=NA&mr:device=c&mr:adType=pla_with_promotion&mr:ad=30640534271&mr:keyword&mr:match&mr:filter=58018121231&gclid=CjgKEAjwwuqcBRCSuoivmIPnkwQSJACpqj3kvVUAPe3sq7vFckaiG5gwkAmrDbX6hSnnlXXvqiNZc_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Im a diehard spring time wild turkey hunter and avid outdoorsman in general. Both of these are lifesavers in the woods for spring and summer.

 

Thanks for the info! I will definately look into this stuff for our southern cruise next year!

[LindaO]

We did a 2 month trip across the South Pacific this past March-May, and used these products.

 

I sprayed the clothes a few weeks before the trip. No staining, no odor, either. My husband make me a makeshift clothes line and I just took all his shirts and all my tops and capris out and sprayed them. I left them hanging until they were dry (very quickly if there's a breeze), and that was it!

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ANQVYU/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Then, I also took this for a skin repellant:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JVB44E/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Thank you for posting this information! Living in Florida... at the beach... on the intracoastal we have way to many biting bugs... I'm giving both these products a try!! I love the idea of spraying clothing.

[brillohead]

Luckily with the proper medical attention and anti-biotics I survived

 

Antibiotics do not treat viral infections, and this particular virus isn't deadly, so I'm not really sure why you were treated with antibiotics or why you thought that you only survived because of medical attention and antibiotics?

[brillohead]

May consider going to my dr. For a preventative antibiotic too. We always carry a medical kit when we travel, now will just add a few more things.

 

If your doctor prescribes you a "preventative antibiotic" for a potential viral infection, I would hope that you would NEVER go to the quack again. People like that are the reason we have so many antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the world right now.

[Ocean Boy]

Antibiotics do not treat viral infections, and this particular virus isn't deadly, so I'm not really sure why you were treated with antibiotics or why you thought that you only survived because of medical attention and antibiotics?

 

You are correct that antibiotics don't treat viral infections. It is also true this virus is not deadly though it does make people very ill. I presently have two infected patients who were recently in Haiti and this was not an easy sickness. It certainly will not make anyone's cruise a pleasant experience. However, it is possible that the person you quoted was put on antibiotics for other reasons and they simply think it was to treat the virus. I've seen some mosquito bites become quite seriously infected causing cellulitis. So that might have been the reason for the treatment choice. I certainly don't know for sure and none of us ever will. But I'm sure we will read plenty of drama as this thread unfolds.

[KBRADFORD79]

Antibiotics do not treat viral infections, and this particular virus isn't deadly, so I'm not really sure why you were treated with antibiotics or why you thought that you only survived because of medical attention and antibiotics?

 

I'm not a doctor but I was satisfied w the help and medication prescribed to me, please don't beat me up for taking antibiotics the RCC medical facility gave me.

 

I posted this to alert others, not to be scolded. On my tenth cruise I was afraid of what was happening to me and my body. You wouldn't understand the pain and fear I experienced so please don't belittle medicine or my experience.

 

I didn't post this to scare people, I just wanted others to know this is real and should be taking seriously. :(

[KBRADFORD79]

WOW!!! We were on same cruise and ALL of us got bitten badly after our Jamaica day!! (showed up June 5th)....

BIG bites but no other symptoms....

THANKFUL you are OK!!! and bummed that you missed out on part of the cruise bc of that...:(

 

Wow! My husband thinks it was Labadee since it's closer to the DR but I thought I felt the bite happen in Jamaica. I've been bit before and didn't think anything of it. Then it was just one thing after another. I'm glad you guys weren't affected. :) Thank you.

[EbayCruiser]

I'm not a doctor but I was satisfied w the help and medication prescribed to me, please don't beat me up for taking antibiotics the RCC medical facility gave me.

 

I posted this to alert others, not to be scolded. On my tenth cruise I was afraid of what was happening to me and my body. You wouldn't understand the pain and fear I experienced so please don't belittle medicine or my experience.

 

I didn't post this to scare people, I just wanted others to know this is real and should be taking seriously. :(

 

I am so sorry that you got so sick from this! We have heard a l lot about this from a Doctor at Vanderbilt and he says these mosquitos bite in the sun, too! Were you in areas that were shady or on a sunny beach? I don't know how you could wear suntan lotion and "deet" at the same time unless they make such a product.

 

We are going on the Eastern Allure cruise in September and heard that St. Maarten had them too, really bad! It makes you worried about them getting on the ship since we are docked there.

[Sitzmark]

I am so sorry that you got so sick from this! We have heard a l lot about this from a Doctor at Vanderbilt and he says these mosquitos bite in the sun, too! Were you in areas that were shady or on a sunny beach? I don't know how you could wear suntan lotion and "deet" at the same time unless they make such a product.

 

We are going on the Eastern Allure cruise in September and heard that St. Maarten had them too, really bad! It makes you worried about them getting on the ship since we are docked there.

 

Put on the sunscreen, then the repellant. You can also treat clothing with repellant.

[LauraLL]

Oh for goodness sakes people! Do you not drive because you may get in a car accident? NO- you take the necessary precautions. You put on a seat belt and GO. SAME THING HERE. Put on some bug spray and enjoy your cruise.

[Sitzmark]

Oh for goodness sakes people! Do you not drive because you may get in a car accident? NO- you take the necessary precautions. You put on a seat belt and GO. SAME THING HERE. Put on some bug spray and enjoy your cruise.

 

 

I kinda thought that was the point of the thread? Maybe I missed the one where everyone was cancelling their cruise. Subject of the thread suggests, "please take Mosquito spray"

[suebart112]

Silly question but does Bermuda qualify as the Caribbean (because its so far north)? Going next month.

[Clarea]

Silly question but does Bermuda qualify as the Caribbean (because its so far north)? Going next month.

Goodness no, Bermuda is much colder than even the Bahamas.

 

Here's a link to a map that shows the limits of the Caribbean, with the Bahamas and Bermuda for perspective:

 

http://www.mappery.com/maps/Caribbean-Threatened-Reef-Map.jpg

Edited June 18, 2014 by clarea

[Mapleleafforever]

Don't forget about Malaria, Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever, Japanese B Encephalitis, West Nile Virus, Tick Borne Encephalitis, Filariasis, Lyme Disease, Leishmaniasis, Sleeping Sickness, Chagas Disease, Typhus Fever, and the Plague. All are spread by insects, mostly mosquitos.

 

Or you can just stop worrying, get out of the bubble, and live your life.

Edited June 18, 2014 by Mapleleafforever

[LisaGoeke]

Thanks for the heads up. DH just told me about this yesterday so we could make sure we have something to protect us for our upcoming cruise. Sorry you were so sick but glad you're doing better now!

[Sitzmark]

Don't forget about Malaria, Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever, Japanese B Encephalitis, West Nile Virus, Tick Borne Encephalitis, Filariasis, Lyme Disease, Leishmaniasis, Sleeping Sickness, Chagas Disease, Typhus Fever, and the Plague. All are spread by insects, mostly mosquitos.

 

Or you can just stop worrying, get out of the bubble, and live your life.

 

 

I don't understand the point of this post?

[Mapleleafforever]

I don't understand the point of this post?

 

Originally Posted by Mapleleafforever

Don't forget about Malaria, Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever, Japanese B Encephalitis, West Nile Virus, Tick Borne Encephalitis, Filariasis, Lyme Disease, Leishmaniasis, Sleeping Sickness, Chagas Disease, Typhus Fever, and the Plague. All are spread by insects, mostly mosquitos.

 

Or you can just stop worrying, get out of the bubble, and live your life.

 

Well you see, the first part is a list of a few diseases that are spread via insects that you should also be aware of, just like the Chikungunya Virus.

 

The second part is meant to suggest that you can choose whether or not to worry about them.

 

Do you understand now?