Zika virus changing travel plans

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Its symptoms are similar to the flu for most people, but the Zika virus can have much more harmful effects on pregnant women and their unborn children. The World Heath Organization is even linking it to birth defects and neurological problems.

The Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health is also encouraging expecting mothers to reconsider travel plans if their trips are to one of the more than 20 affected countries. The virus is mostly in Central and South America.

The team at Grueninger Travel Services said it’s really too early to tell if the Zika virus will hurt business. Manager Carolyn McFarren has only had one couple cancel a trip to Mexico, but expects to get more and more questions as the weeks go by.

“They just agonized over the decision and finally just decided they didn’t feel comfortable with it,” McFarren said.

McFarren has worked in the travel business since 1970. With more than four decades of experience, she understands how much of a role health warnings can play in travelers’ plans. She also said most resorts do everything they can to keep guests safe.

“They spray. There’s a lot of things that they do to minimize the mosquito populations to begin with,” McFarren said. “It’s not like you’re going to be in the jungle. Even if you were, the best precaution you can take is to have your Deet, have your bug spray, and long sleeves and long pants.”

Other than the one couple canceling their trip, it’s been business as usual at Grueninger. Still, McFarren thinks it’s good to research ahead of a trip, especially if you are pregnant.

“As far as canceling, if you’re not on your honeymoon and possibly looking at having children in the next couple of years, they’re sort of indicating that that’s not really a big issue,” McFarren said. “It’s not like you’re just going to hunker down in your house. I think that people should just be aware of it, take precautions and not let it stop them.”

Julia and Geoff Ellingwood had a trip planned to Cancun next month, but the couple is due in August.

“This was going to be our babymoon, so our last big trip before the baby came,” Julia Ellingwood said.

When the Zika virus warnings started coming out, they started researching.

“We talked with people at the CDC, I’ve been getting emails from Dr. McMahan about information about the Zika virus and we just talked about it together,” Julia said.

Despite a much anticipated scuba diving trip, the couple decided it wasn’t worth risking their plunge into parenthood.

“Everything was all booked so we were disappointed. It was a hard decision I think to make. We both talked about it and talked with our families. With the research, we just decided in the end that our child, you know the unborn child, was more worth it rather than having the risk of having the baby getting ill,” Julia said.

The Ellingwoods couldn’t get a refund on the trip, but the airline did let them transfer their tickets.

“We’re going to Florida now. We’re going to Sanibel Island, so hopefully that will not change. As of right now, from what we’ve read, nothing has spread to the United States or anything,” Julia said.

There are some people who have been diagnosed with the virus in the U.S., but there are no signs of actually contracting it here yet.

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