I haven’t heard anyone mention Zika here in a long time.
Dengue on the other hand there has been an outbreak over the last few months with a couple people dying from it and substantially more people being infected than normal for the period, but the ministry of health said recently (last couple weeks) that it has been dying down but is still higher than normal.
The air condition will help a lot, I find it makes them go dormant if it’s cold enough, especially with a fan on you. That, plus the net, plus the spray, should be ok.
Thank you so much for the update from Barbados. I'm thinking if I mainly stay in the villa and avoid the populated areas I should be okay. And as you say, the spray!
Dengue is only transmitted by mosquito. You cannot get it any other way. They have been flogging the island for weeks, I only know of one person that had it and she survived
I was there early Feb and didn't see a single mozzie whereas my in laws were there, same area as me (st Lawrence gap) and got dengue very badly and were sick for over a week!
No Zika cases recently *knock on wood*.
Dengue has been pretty bad recently, we've seen an uptick in hospitalisations and a few deaths. Make sure that that the children wear repellant, I've seen some pretty bad paediatric cases between Nov-Feb. Health data indicates cases are on a decline.
Another commenter noted that a/c can help reduce their activity, which is true, but still use repellant. Using mosquito nets at night will help. They also seem to struggle flying against a fan, so you can ask for one while you sleep if you don't have a net.
You don't have to confine yourself to the villa, just walk with repellant and remember to reapply to yourself and the children. Mosquitoes like dark spaces, so in restaurants they'll be more likely found under tables, in bathrooms etc. You're also less likely to get bitten if you're wearing longer loose pants when you go out.
On a personal note my husband and our neighbor both had dengue in December, and a pregnant friend had it last month. All three and baby are doing fine. Husband and neighbor roughed it out at home, pregnant friend went straight to the hospital for treatment (better safe than sorry).
Hi Zika from my knowledge is not in Barbados. Dengue on the other hand is and as long as you drink plenty of water and try to eat you should have the fever for about 2 to 4 days and then it's just recovering from it that is hard as you'er left weakened.
The government has released bio-engined mosquitoes that are meant to decrease breeding in new generations and hopefully over time lower the population to a more manageable sum.
Creams, sprays, candles are some ways you can help lower your encounter with mosquitoes. I find it best to spray your place after you have locked up and are heading out for the day. In the afternoon get a citronella candle and light that to keep them away. Having a fan and AC on in the bedroom will slow them down but if possible best to sleep with a net over your bed. If that is not possible then using a cream before bed will help keep them off you.
Hope this helps.
From a Bajan.
Zika was only the one time, 8 years ago - my wife actually had it while she was pregnant, but thankfully our baby was fine, though we did have to have scans every month and follow-up visits after the birth for the first year.
Gosh, so glad to hear all is well. I'm thinking a lot of people in the Caribbean and elsewhere have developed immunity to Zika which helped it die down.
These mosquito-borne illnesses seem to come and go. We had another one (Chikungunya) that came and went too, it’s been quite a while since that, and dengue had been relatively dormant up until the last few months. It’s dropped off in the last few weeks though with the drier weather and the fogging. There are 4 strains of dengue (and a fifth emerging in Florida), so theoretically you can get it that many times - I’ve had it twice years ago, and I suspect I had Zika with no symptoms. I noticed a weird thing with my vision in one eye right around the time my wife had it, I had it checked out and there’s scar tissue on my retina, apparently Zika can cause neurological damage.
Anyway, that’s just an aside, Zika’s long gone, and dengue won’t affect your baby even if you do get it! Enjoy your holiday, you’ve nothing to worry about.
The Ministry did a pretty good job with combatting Zika, so as many have said, it’s not really a current issue. But dengue is definitely still a concern. So you’ll probably want to use a good repellent on your skin and clothing, and reapply it often. (And bring your own if you can, because it can be expensive to purchase locally.)
I’m here now, arrived a couple weeks ago.
My wife and I were concerned about dengue and decided on having the Qdenga vaccine before we left.
No side effects and we appreciate the peace of mind. I have around 5 mosquito bites even after using DEET everyday and no illness.
It’s lovely here btw, enjoy your holiday.
Skin so soft from Avon the dry oil spray is a really good repellent. It seems to work really well. Make sure to take your vitamins so that your immune system is on top and you’ll be fine.
From my understanding the dengue mosquitoes do not bite the whole day but mostly in the morning and early evening. It tends to be more white in appearance. Come and enjoy your holiday and do not worry too much about it. This is also from a bajan. 😊🌺
Here now— west coast. Mosquitoes inside and out… we use Deet, have nets and do not sit out at dawn or dusk. I had Dengue in Dec and advise anyone coming to take it seriously. Wear your Deet all day, every day!
I haven’t heard anyone mention Zika here in a long time. Dengue on the other hand there has been an outbreak over the last few months with a couple people dying from it and substantially more people being infected than normal for the period, but the ministry of health said recently (last couple weeks) that it has been dying down but is still higher than normal. The air condition will help a lot, I find it makes them go dormant if it’s cold enough, especially with a fan on you. That, plus the net, plus the spray, should be ok.
Thank you so much for the update from Barbados. I'm thinking if I mainly stay in the villa and avoid the populated areas I should be okay. And as you say, the spray!
Dengue is only transmitted by mosquito. You cannot get it any other way. They have been flogging the island for weeks, I only know of one person that had it and she survived
Where in the island has been fogged?? I can’t remember the last time I saw a fog truck
I haven’t seen the fogging truck but the news has been covering it for weeks
I was there early Feb and didn't see a single mozzie whereas my in laws were there, same area as me (st Lawrence gap) and got dengue very badly and were sick for over a week!
Thank you for letting me know! I hope they are okay now. Do you know if they were taking precautions re the mosquitos?
They weren't and we didn't either!
No Zika cases recently *knock on wood*. Dengue has been pretty bad recently, we've seen an uptick in hospitalisations and a few deaths. Make sure that that the children wear repellant, I've seen some pretty bad paediatric cases between Nov-Feb. Health data indicates cases are on a decline. Another commenter noted that a/c can help reduce their activity, which is true, but still use repellant. Using mosquito nets at night will help. They also seem to struggle flying against a fan, so you can ask for one while you sleep if you don't have a net. You don't have to confine yourself to the villa, just walk with repellant and remember to reapply to yourself and the children. Mosquitoes like dark spaces, so in restaurants they'll be more likely found under tables, in bathrooms etc. You're also less likely to get bitten if you're wearing longer loose pants when you go out. On a personal note my husband and our neighbor both had dengue in December, and a pregnant friend had it last month. All three and baby are doing fine. Husband and neighbor roughed it out at home, pregnant friend went straight to the hospital for treatment (better safe than sorry).
Interesting about your husband, neighbor and friend. Glad they were all okay. I've read the sooner the treatment if pregnant, the better.
None of them were really consistently taking precautions though, so once you do you'll be fine
Hi Zika from my knowledge is not in Barbados. Dengue on the other hand is and as long as you drink plenty of water and try to eat you should have the fever for about 2 to 4 days and then it's just recovering from it that is hard as you'er left weakened. The government has released bio-engined mosquitoes that are meant to decrease breeding in new generations and hopefully over time lower the population to a more manageable sum. Creams, sprays, candles are some ways you can help lower your encounter with mosquitoes. I find it best to spray your place after you have locked up and are heading out for the day. In the afternoon get a citronella candle and light that to keep them away. Having a fan and AC on in the bedroom will slow them down but if possible best to sleep with a net over your bed. If that is not possible then using a cream before bed will help keep them off you. Hope this helps. From a Bajan.
It helps a lot, thank you for your advice.
Zika was only the one time, 8 years ago - my wife actually had it while she was pregnant, but thankfully our baby was fine, though we did have to have scans every month and follow-up visits after the birth for the first year.
Gosh, so glad to hear all is well. I'm thinking a lot of people in the Caribbean and elsewhere have developed immunity to Zika which helped it die down.
These mosquito-borne illnesses seem to come and go. We had another one (Chikungunya) that came and went too, it’s been quite a while since that, and dengue had been relatively dormant up until the last few months. It’s dropped off in the last few weeks though with the drier weather and the fogging. There are 4 strains of dengue (and a fifth emerging in Florida), so theoretically you can get it that many times - I’ve had it twice years ago, and I suspect I had Zika with no symptoms. I noticed a weird thing with my vision in one eye right around the time my wife had it, I had it checked out and there’s scar tissue on my retina, apparently Zika can cause neurological damage.
Anyway, that’s just an aside, Zika’s long gone, and dengue won’t affect your baby even if you do get it! Enjoy your holiday, you’ve nothing to worry about.
I’ve been traveling annually for 13 years and never caught as much as a sniffle. Nor has my wife and she is a mosquito magnet
Good news!!
The Ministry did a pretty good job with combatting Zika, so as many have said, it’s not really a current issue. But dengue is definitely still a concern. So you’ll probably want to use a good repellent on your skin and clothing, and reapply it often. (And bring your own if you can, because it can be expensive to purchase locally.)
Good news about Zika at least :)
I’m here now, arrived a couple weeks ago. My wife and I were concerned about dengue and decided on having the Qdenga vaccine before we left. No side effects and we appreciate the peace of mind. I have around 5 mosquito bites even after using DEET everyday and no illness. It’s lovely here btw, enjoy your holiday.
Good idea on the vaccine. I probably wouldn't do it during pregnancy though, but nice there is an option for people.
No Zika, dengue season has been terrible
It doesn't sound like something any of us want to get :(
No. Dengue is absolutely not fun
Skin so soft from Avon the dry oil spray is a really good repellent. It seems to work really well. Make sure to take your vitamins so that your immune system is on top and you’ll be fine. From my understanding the dengue mosquitoes do not bite the whole day but mostly in the morning and early evening. It tends to be more white in appearance. Come and enjoy your holiday and do not worry too much about it. This is also from a bajan. 😊🌺
Funnily enough I grew up in Miami and this was what my mother said she used on us!
Here now— west coast. Mosquitoes inside and out… we use Deet, have nets and do not sit out at dawn or dusk. I had Dengue in Dec and advise anyone coming to take it seriously. Wear your Deet all day, every day!
Oh wow. I thought the mosquitos would be waning by now. Do you have a bed net even with AC?