Characteristics of US Travelers to Zika Virus–Affected Countries in the Americas, March 2015–October 2016 (original) (raw)

2017, Emerging Infectious Diseases

Zika virus has recently been introduced to the Americas and is spreading rapidly. We evaluated the characteristics of US travelers to Zika virus-affected countries who were seen at Global TravEpiNet sites during March 2015-October 2016. Nearly three quarters of travelers were men or women of reproductive age. I n 2014, a total of 30.8 million US residents traveled internationally, and 39% of trips were to the Caribbean, Central America, and South America (the Americas) (1). Travelers to this region are at risk for mosquitoborne illnesses, including Zika virus infection (2). As of November 1, 2016, a total of 49 countries and territories in the Americas have reported Zika virus transmission (3). Zika virus spreads primarily through mosquito bites and sexual contact (2,4,5) and is of particular concern to persons of reproductive age because Zika virus infection in pregnancy can cause microcephaly and brain defects (6,7). We describe the demographics of US travelers to Zika virus-affected countries in the Americas, with a focus on persons of reproductive age. The Study Global TravEpiNet (GTEN), supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a consortium of US clinical practices providing pretravel healthcare to international travelers. GTEN sites include academic practices, healthcare consortia, health maintenance organizations, Characteristics of US Travelers to Zika Virus-Affected Countries in the Americas,