If you are traveling to Central and South America or to the Caribbean you should know the top ways to protect yourself from Zika. The Zika virus is spread by mosquito bite and sexual contact.

Planning on traveling to Central and South America or to the Caribbean? Then you would be wise to know how to protect yourself from mosquito bites and the Zika virus.

If not for some very strong insect repellent on my skin, these mosquitos setting up camp on my baseball cap would be having a feast!

Zika, is a virus that is primarily transmitted through the bite of the Aedes aegypti species of mosquito — the same mosquito that can carry dengue fever, chikungunya and yellow fever. The Zika virus can also be spread by sexual contact even if a person is not showing any symptoms

Although Zika is not considered harmful to healthy adults, it seems to be extremely dangerous to the unborn children of pregnant women. Cases of Zika infections have shown up in the United States (albeit directly attributed to travel-associated visits to countries where the Zika virus is prevalent). Cases have been documented in Africa, Southeast Asia and even in the Pacific Islands.

While Zika cannot yet be prevented with a vaccine, research is on overdrive. Meanwhile, you can reduce your risk of becoming infected by taking steps to protect yourself from Zika. This means protecting yourself from mosquito bites and, if you are planning engaging in sexual activity in countries where Zika is known (click here to see updated information from the CDC), a condom is necessary.

What are the best ways to protect yourself from Zika?

The most obvious method is not traveling to a country where the Zika virus is prevalent; however, that is not always possible, nor perhaps desirable, if you wish to visit a country where Zika may be a risk.

No. 1 — Always cover up!

Yes, the black specks all around my head and in the background are mosquitos. And, no, they are not biting me, thanks to the ExOfficio BugsAway Lumos Hoodie. And, full disclosure, I am not wearing any chemical insect repellent on my face.

Although the Aedes mosquito prefers to bite humans during the daylight hours and is active indoors, it will bite anytime, day or night. And that means covering up both outdoors and indoors all of the time.

Because these mosquitoes can bite through thin clothing, we recommend wearing insect repellent clothing treated with permethrin.

No. 2 — Use insect repellents on bare skin

For any areas of your skin that may still remain exposed (e.g. hands, ankles, face) be sure to protect yourself fully by applying insect repellent. This is no time to experiment! Patches, electronic repellents and most “natural” oils are unfortunately not nearly as effective as insect repellents containing DEET or another synthetic compound called Picaridin, which has been shown to be as effective as DEET (without harmful side effects, like melting plastics).

If you absolutely insist on going natural, then we would recommend you rely only on natural repellents containing significant percentages of oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE). If you choose this, you must realize that frequent reapplications will be needed. This is not the time to be chintzy about percentages or quantity used. As always, follow package directions for whatever insect repellent you choose to use.

No. 3 — Choose your lodging wisely

When traveling in countries where Zika-carrying mosquitos are active, choose hotels or overnight lodging if you can with air conditioning or, at the very least, with secure screens on the windows and doors of the hotel and your room.

The ONLY reason the shirts are off inside this bug tent is because it is a mosquito-free zone. Outside? Clouds of the little biting buggers.

In addition, you can and should protect yourself from Zika by using a mosquito bed net. Look for a bed net large enough to tuck under the mattress.

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