Time to change your travel plans or stock up on bug spray.
Health officials in the U.S. have issued a travel advisory for St. Martin due to a mosquito-borne virus that has already infected ten people on the Caribbean island.
Fortunately, the chikungunya virus (say that ten times fast) is not life threatening; most patients typically recover within a week. Symptoms are fairly mild as well. Those with the virus might experience headaches, joint and muscle pain, and a rash.
If you’re currently visiting St. Martin or still plan on going there in the near future, be sure to take extra precaution against mosquito bites. When outside, use bug spray and wear light-colored, loose fitted clothing, especially at night. Stay in an air-conditioned room and use bed nets or hang mesh nets on your doors and windows to keep disease-carrying mosquitos out of your room
For more information on the travel alert, read the full story from Reuters here.
Photo from Huffington Post.
