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The short answer is that, in general terms, the health risk of travelling to Latin America is little-changed for most travellers. In April 2016 a confirmed link between the Zika virus and abnormalities in pregnancy was announced. Generally the risk should only be of concern to those who are, or may be, pregnant while travelling as well as those with chronic illness or immune system disorders.

In the main, travelling to Latin America following the rise of the Zika virus is no different to before it hit the headlines:  Based on current knowledge this virus poses no greater threat to most visitors than other mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue or malaria found in tropical regions around the world.  It is also worth bearing in mind that the number of confirmed cases is not generally high in areas frequented by tourists.

For the countries where cases of Zika have been confirmed, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office states:

You should follow the advice of the National Travel Health Network and Centre and discuss your travel plans with your healthcare provider, particularly if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant. 

So, if you or your daughters are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant, or if any of you have a severe chronic illness or immune system disorder then there may be reason to postpone your holiday. If, however, none of these circumstances apply to you and your family then – based on the current information available – there should be no reason to be unduly concerned about your trip.

For much more information on Zika in Latin America, read Journey Latin America’s Zika virus information page, which we try to keep as up to date as possible.
We would also encourage you obtain the most balanced and up to date health information directly from expert authorities such as those listed below.

o UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office
o UK National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC)
o NHS Scotland
o Public Health England
o European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC)
o The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO)
o US Centre for Disease Control (CDC)
o The World Health Organisation (WHO)
o American Red Cross

 

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Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Lina
    Lina Fuller - Travel Expert

    Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.

  • Ben
    Ben Line - Travel Expert

    Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.

  • Hannah
    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

  • Paul Winrow Giffin
    Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Expert

    After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.

  • Alex
    Alex Walker - Travel Expert

    A globetrotter since her childhood, Alex spent a year studying abroad in Guadalajara and has returned to Latin America countless times since then.

  • Sophie
    Sophie Barber - Travel Expert

    Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia and beyond to Antarctica.

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