Precautionary Measures for Zika at Disney World
With local cases of Zika increasing in lower Florida, Walt Disney World has started distributing free insect repellant at stations through the parks and Disney Springs as a precautionary measure. Hotel rooms are being equipped with aerosol bug spray, and signs have gone up around Walt Disney World informing visitors about the repellent and other measures that can can help them avoid mosquito bites.
While Walt Disney World can’t really do anything to prevent Zika from spreading to Orlando, these prophylactic measures aimed are at “mosquito prevention” (there’s no explicit mentioning Zika, which is both a literal and figurative four-letter word to the tourism industry). We thought we’d address the topic here with some tips and links to useful resources concerning Zika.
When it comes to mosquitos, it might be reassuring to know that this isn’t Walt Disney World’s first rodeo. Back when the Florida Department of Health issued an alert for West Nile virus in Orange County back in 2002, the Orlando Sentinel detailed Disney’s pest-control measures (that’s a really fascinating read, by the way). This includes a full-service mosquito control operation that sprays, traps(?), and scouts to determine concentration zones. (That could explain the otherwise-inexplicable decision to fill the abandoned River Country pool, which otherwise seems a bit like trying to patch the Titanic with duct tape.)
So, what should you know about mosquito prevention and Zika at Walt Disney World? Let’s start with a bit of primer, courtesy of the Center for Disease Control. Zika is spread mostly by the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. These are the same types of mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. These mosquitoes are aggressive daytime biters that can also bite at night. Sexual transmission of Zika is also possible.
People bitten by a Zika-infected mosquito can develop symptoms including mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise, or headache–but 4 in 5 people don’t develop any symptoms at all. The incubation period for Zika is thought to be a few days, with the symptoms normally lasting for less than a week.
The mild, direct symptoms of Zika require no specific treatment, and there is currently no vaccine available, and one might be years away. The CDC recommend those who are infected get rest, stay hydrated, and treat fever with common medicines. In the rare event that symptoms worsen, seeking medical care is advised. Although there is some emerging science associating Zika with Guillain-Barré syndrome, this is in a very small number of cases–most of those who are infected with Zika recovery fully and without medical treatment. That’s the good news.
The bad news is that Zika virus has been linked to microcephaly, which is a type of unusually small heads and brain damage in children born to infected mothers. There are also links to blindness, deafness, seizures, and other congenital defects in newborns. In regions where local epidemics have occurred, the World Health Organization has encouraged couples to delay pregnancy until herd immunity is strong.
This is all relevant to Walt Disney World because the Florida Department of Health has identified two areas of Miami-Dade County where Zika is being spread by mosquitoes, identified above in red.
At present, the CDC is advising that pregnant women do not travel to the infected areas. Both pregnant women and their partners concerned about being exposed to Zika may want to consider postponing nonessential travel to all parts of Miami-Dade County. Women and men who travel to these areas should wait at least 8 weeks before trying to get pregnant even if no symptoms develop. (In men, if symptoms develop, the CDC recommends waiting at least 6 months before trying. Again, since sexual transmission of Zika is possible, it is important for both sexes.)
A state-wide travel advisory to Florida has not been issued, nor have any advisories been issued for Orange and Osceola Counties, where Walt Disney World is located. As Zika has slowly spread from the Caribbean and Latin America north to Florida, and the swamps of central Florida are a hospitable environment for this type of mosquitos, it seems like a matter of time before Zika spreads further.
Zika Prevention Tips
Per the CDC, Protection against mosquito bites is a key measure to prevent Zika virus infection. The CDC recommends using EPA-registered insect repellents with an active ingredient of DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or PMD. If you use a product with DEET as the active ingredient, the CDC recommend a concentration >20%. (Per the CDC, the Cutter Walt Disney World is distributing is a good option.)
“Is DEET safe during pregnancy?” has become a common search query on Google, and the scientific consensus is that it is safe to use during pregnancy. Jenny McCarthy’s opinion on the matter is still unclear, so you might want to hold off if you rely on Playmates for your medical advice. According to the Environmental Protection Agency and CDC, all EPA-registered insect repellents are safe to use, even when pregnant.
In addition to using mosquito-repelling sprays and/or creams, presenting physical barriers to mosquitos is a recommended measure. This can be done by wearing clothes that cover as much of the body as possible, including long-sleeve shirts, hats, and pants. If sleeping outdoors or in a place without air-conditionings, window screens, closing doors, and windows and even sleeping under mosquito nets is recommended.
#Disney now offering free bug spray in all parks. #Zika #AnimalKingdom pic.twitter.com/niWYZgJuMM
– TheUnofficialGuides (@TheUGseries) August 29, 2016
Those are the risks and the precautions you should take. We are not here to fear monger, so we also want to stress that the likelihood of contracting Zika in Florida is statistically minuscule. Being proactive and taking preventive measures decreases the chances of contracting Zika further. In terms of probability, the likelihood of contracting Zika in the United States is actually slightly below West Nile virus. (To reiterate: both are very unlikely.)
Still, for many pregnant couples, Zika is not worth a roll of the dice. A New England Journal of Medicine study puts the risk of microcephaly in Zika-infected mothers at 0.88 to 13.2%, which is definitely cause for concern.
We expect the presence of Zika in Florida to have an impact on travel to Walt Disney World. Hotel bookings for late August in Miami are down 4.2% year over year, despite being up 1.2% from January through July. Of course, Walt Disney World benefits from being in counties where local outbreaks have not yet occurred.
However, this probably won’t stop people from canceling trips to Walt Disney World. Local Zika spreading throughout Florida (and potentially beyond) seems like an inevitability at this point. If local cases are reported near Walt Disney World, it will likely have a more pronounced impact on bookings than has been the case in Miami. While Zika most significantly affects pregnant women and those planning on becoming pregnant, that’s a decent segment of Walt Disney World’s guest demographic (especially contrasted with Miami).
Additionally, just because the negative affects of Zika are primarily limited to only those who are pregnant or trying those does not mean the general public will realize that. There are already a ton of search results for “canceling Walt Disney World trip because of Zika,” including too many forum threads to count. All things considered, this could be the biggest hit to Walt Disney World’s visitation numbers since attendance dropped 25% in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. The media has been treating Zika as a pandemic on par with the Black Death and those make it sound like a HIDE YO KIDS, HIDE YO WIFE kind of situation, and it wouldn’t be surprising if that amounts to a high single or low double-digit drop for Disney. (If sensationalism sells, I just want to let you all know that WALT DISNEY WORLD IS CLOSING!!!1!!! For the night, tonight at at 10 p.m.; midnight with Extra Magic Hours.)
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Your Thoughts
Do you agree or disagree with our take on Zika at Walt Disney World? Have any additional insight or tips? Share any questions or thoughts you have in the comments!
Thanks for the hide yo kids, hide yo wife link, it made my whole day! HAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!
Also, thanks for the info about this “threat” of Zika and how it relates at our beloved WDW.
Do you have any links to talk about using DEET on our children of varying ages?
Telling Tom to “cut the wise cracks” is a fine example of hypocrisy. Just because you don’t like the comment, doesn’t mean you have the right to tell him what to say/not say – and preach your comments/opinions instead. If you don’t like it, don’t read nor obsess about this blog entry. There are usually two sides (arguments) on a topic – people have the right to research and form their own opinions. This is a DISNEY blog, Tom never said it was a pro/con vaccine blog. He threw in what I’d assume was meant as a humorous comment, and obviously depending on your experience, you’ll either find it funny or not. Let it go folks!
You’re certainly entitled to your opinion Tom, but there are those (including myself-and many other good doctors) that believe Jenny McCarthy has done a good job of bringing to light legitimate concerns regarding dosing/timing/overuse of vaccines. As a parent to a child for whom the benefits did not outweigh the issues, I’ve watched/will continue to watch my child suffer the side effects.
Cut the wise cracks-when it’s your child that’s affected, they’re just not funny.
Anti vaccine people, get your facts straight and stop endangering my kids: http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/01/health/vaccines-for-kids-safe/
http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/well/2015/08/10/not-vaccinating-children-is-the-greater-risk/?referer=
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/immunizations/Pages/Vaccine-Safety-The-Facts.aspx
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/patient-ed/conversations/downloads/not-vacc-risks-color-office.pdf
Jenny McCarthy’s opinion on the matter is still unclear, so you might want to hold off if you rely on Playmates for your medical advice
That’s a low blow man. There are many of us out here with vaccine injured kids–deal with it. Maybe stick to what you are informed about and have personally researched ad nauseam: Disney.
Agreed! Many of us have vaccine injured children. Stick to the Disney blogging Tom and not throwing a mother who has done a lot of good for a lotchildren under the bus for a cheap joke. PS-watch the movie Vaxxed if you want an unbiased opinion on the issue.
I stand by my remark. The notion that Jenny McCarthy has “done a lot of good” is laughable, as is the claim that Vaxxed is “unbiased.”
This is not a matter of opinion, or something about which reasonable minds may vary. The science on vaccines is overwhelming, and the consensus is clear. As with all drugs and medicine, generally, vaccines do cause problems–but their benefits far outweigh any issues they present. Ignoring that is not just detrimental to the individual, it is detrimental to society.
Don’t assume that just because I’m knowledgeable about Disney, I’m not knowledgeable about anything else.
I certainly didn’t mean to imply that you aren’t knowledgeable. My comment was a knee-jerk reaction (as evident by my typos) to your insulting remark Tom. And I will continue to disagree with it. I assure you that many “reasonable minds” have come to a different conclusion and have ample studies to prove it. Especially parents who watched their child slip away immediately after receiving their vaccines. It’s club of parents who are fighting every day to find answers for their kids. A group that is slightly less concerned about being “detrimental to society” and just trying to survive another day. And you should watch Vaxxed, it might give you an insight into our reasons. Cheers my friend!
I suppose it’s all about the risks. In order to get out the door every morning, we don’t think about the statistical probabilities of being in a car accident, or being a victim of a terrorist attack, or falling down a flight of stairs. But as a woman who has struggled with infertility and loss, Zika has given me pause as I select where to vacation next. Although my family-growing efforts have come to an end, I have a pregnant sister-in-law and a sister who hopes to become pregnant soon. We all live in an area that has yet to have Zika cases, but we do have West Nile and the aedes aegypti mosquito. My fear is that someone from Miami/Brazil/Singapore/etc visits WDW and gets bitten by a mosquito. And then I get bitten. And then I come home and a local mosquito bites me, and then my loved ones get bitten. I know it’s a long chain, but it still gives me pause. We had a WDW vacation penciled in for next year, but now, DLR may be a better option.
I know exactly what you mean. After 5 years and 4 losses we finally got our miracle baby, and we are considering trying for a second child next year. We were planning on going to WDW in the late fall, but now I’m worried that either my husband will get bit and we’ll have to wait 6 months to try to get pregnant, or I will already be pregnant and get bitten myself. We very much love going to WDW, but we may have to do DLR instead.
That being said, I have never been bitten by a mosquito while at WDW. I have gotten horrible chigger bites, but never a mosquito. I’m very happy that they’re setting up bug spray stations, and think that was very smart of them to do.
We just left Disney after being there a week but I did not see any free repellant, signs about mosquitos or any mosquitos for that matter. I did see signs around the Pop Century lake warning about alligators and snakes though.
This began on Sunday, August 28, 2016.
According to the CDC, men actually need to wait 6 months after being exposed to Zika virus before getting their partner pregnant.
Women who have been exposed to it just need to wait 8 weeks.
SIX MONTHS is a long time if you are wanting to grow your family!
Is it?
Seriously? For those of us that have or are experiencing infirtility problems, six months is not a long time. Also…wouldn’t you want to err on the side of safety?
Most times we have no issues with mosquitos in the parks, even though I am especially sensitive and apparently sought out by the stupid bugs in “real life”. But in June at MK i got eaten up so badly, like a dozen bites or more… I was itching like crazy the whole trip and for a couple weeks later, sleepless nights even after using every treatment I could get my hands on. And I still have scars from some bites where I accidentally scratched in my sleep – that’s over 2 months later! That being said, I’ve now discovered Therapik which isn’t for prevention so much as treatment. If used immediately it’s amazing to stop itching. Anyway, hope that might help someone – look it up if you’re a fellow itchy skeeter victim! 🙂
I get an allergic reaction to ANY kind of bug-bite so free repelllent sounds great to me!
Same HERE. In my research, apparently it’s the bug’s saliva that’s the allergy. Didn’t even know that was a THING. But the area can swell up to the size of a mound on my skin. So I’m with you, Geri, haha!!!
I got snacked on by no see usms on the Traders Sam deck last winter. Never noticed bugs much otherwise. I was checking into Yacht Club on Saturday as card members were going room to room to add to the “amenities” kit. I didn’t realize these were day time biters. Just don’t know that I’m ready to layer on Off! Over my spray sunscreen as it all sweats off.
I can tell you the last time I saw a mosquito at Disney World, it was 20 years ago. I was with a group of around 10 at the beach at GF watching the 4th of July Fireworks and when I got back to the hotel I stopped counting at 50 bites. Everyone else in my group had maybe one or two. Mosquitos have always been attracted to me for some reason. Since then, I have not once experienced mosquitos at Disney because they do an amazing job with bug control. So I’m not worried at all about my trip in January. If the crowds are less because everyone starts canceling trips, well I can’t say I’ll mind the smaller crowds.
I don’t ever remember being bitten by a mosquito at WDW. I think they do a wonderful job controlling them. If attendance drops like it did post 9/11 because of Zika, count me in! I didn’t cancel my reservations for December 2001 and even though it was weird not having many people there it was quite enjoyable. We had our pick of spots to watch parades and fireworks. We had dinner reservations with reserved seating for the Candlelight Processional, though it turned out to be unnecessary . Another night we were walking past and there were a lot of empty seats so we sat down and enjoyed the show again. We were asked if we wanted to go through rides multiple times without having to exit and come back through the lines. We were able to see and do much more in a day! It was almost like having the parks to ourselves!
Is it possible a baby from 8 month pregnant woman would be affected if exposed to Zika?
I know it may cause microcephaly but wouldn’t head be developed by 8 months. We are planing a family vacation with son and daughter in law, 3 yr old grandson and other family members. Just asking ? Maybe you know the answers.
The Zika virus in pregnant women crosses the placenta and the blood-brain barrier. It attacks brain tissue and cells. Babies brains are still growing in the first 3 years of their lives, so exposure in the womb can be dangerous at any stage. Exposure to born infants is something I would be concerned about until we know more, also.
From what I have read, yes. I will be 8 months pregnant at the time of our trip and we are considering canceling or having my husband take the kids alone–for us this all depends on whether the Zika virus spreads to that area.
Also to be considered, men have to wait 6 months before getting their partner pregnant -not 8 weeks. The CDC recommends abstinence or condoms. To me, even though we don’t want to get pregnant immediately after having the baby, 6 months is a long time to really worry about getting the virus from my spouse.
Why in the world would anybody who is 8 months pregnant want to go to WDW???
Actually, it’s only 6 months for a male if he has Zika symptoms. If he has shown no signs of symptoms but may have been exposed, it’s only 8 weeks.
“Jenny McCarthy’s opinion on the matter is still unclear, so you might want to hold off if you rely on Playmates for your medical advice.” Real tears here. Funniest thing on the Internet today!
Yes this is amazing!
The park closes at 10 tonight.
Cool to know free spray is in the hotel room.
“Jenny McCarthy’s opinion on the matter is still unclear, so you might want to hold off if you rely on Playmates for your medical advice.”
Thank you for still including a bit of Tom in an issue focused post.
Good to know since I’m going day after tomorrow. I’ve never been bitten by mosquitoes they before (sans flees yes) but helpful all the same thanks.
I don’t see why, if Orlando hasn’t seen local transmission all summer, we should expect it to be inevitable. now. Wouldn’t it have happened already? Especially with the influx of summer visitors from many of the Zika impacted countries? This is a question that none of my many scientist friends have been able to answer for me, but none of them are mosquito borne infectious disease specialists 🙂 I’m about 5 months pregnant, and unless the CDC changes its recommendations, I’m planning on going to WDW in a month. At this point, Orlando is really no different than Washington DC where I live and work. The infected mosquitos in Miami cannot travel as far as Orlando. My neighborhood and city are definitely not being as intense as WDW seems to be in mosquito abatement.
Well, I’m not a medical expert, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night (Err…watched a TED Talk on how pandemics spread)…
I think the concern is that with more infected people in the area (now 40+ local cases in Miami), there will be a ripple effect: infected mosquito travels a bit farther north, bites someone; bit person either has intercourse or themselves travels farther north (or doesn’t travel at all and is just bitten by another mosquito that travels a little farther north), and slowly Zika creeps up as far north as is environment that is hospitable for this type of mosquito.
The CDC’s potential range of Zika stretches pretty far north, and Washington, DC is also included on the map. My guess would be that Zika is more likely to first spread in Florida, but it could also be spread by someone traveling with the virus and being bitten by a mosquito in DC.
Elizabeth, it’s not that the mosquitos travel/fly from Miami to Orlando or anywhere else, Zika is spread when someone gets bitten from a mosquito that contains the Zika Virus, that person might not show any symptoms but is still infected with Zika, they then travel to Orlando or anywhere and a mosquito bites them and that mosquito can possibly get Zika and start breeding mosquitos with Zika.
Exactly. Which is why I’ve been wondering why this hasn’t been a problem yet in Orlando (as far as we know), and why Orlando would be at any more risk than any other big city in the US, home to Zika carrying mosquitos, that takes in many international visitors. Any ideas here? Like I said, Washington DC is far enough south to have these mosquitos, and takes in many international travelers, but none of the hotels or museums in my area (as far as I know) are handing out free bug spray and information. That being said, at my first prenatal appt in early June, my doc did give me an official MD Dept of Health “Zika Prevention Kit” that included bug spray…and condoms.
Not to scare anyone, but we don’t know how far Zika has really spread. Local transmission has been established in the Miami region after intensive case finding and testing. As Tom notes above, 80% of infections are asymptomatic and of the rest, most are likely mild enough to be brushed off as a mild “flu” or being “under the weather.” We can’t detect what we don’t test for, and quite understandably most of us don’t go to a doctor unless we become really ill.
That said, as folks noted above, mosquitos don’t seem to be common at WDW. I went 2 years ago, wore shorts and Tees all times day & night, used NO mosquito repellent, yet didn’t get bit once–and I DO get bit in other circumstances (usually when hiking). So I agree there’s no need to cancel your trip. (Though I’m not critical if some pregnant women do cancel their trips–there’s no “wrong” answer at this point.)
That makes complete sense to me…which is why I have asked my doctor and my friend who works at NIH repeatedly if it’s really okay for me to travel to WDW while pregnant at this point. They keep reassuring me it’s totally fine, but it’s a completely personal decision. I told my husband I’m more concerned about judgmental stares or comments from other visitors when they see my baby belly at WDW than I am about contracting Zika while there. With all of that, I am fully prepared to cancel my trip the day before we leave if the professionals change their recommendations.
We were just there the other week for our first trip. During the whole 10 days my wife and I commented several times that we didn’t see any mosquitos like what we have at home here in Maryland. Disney World must of just started doing what you talked about it the article.
Disney just started providing the sprays yesterday, but it’s mosquito control program has been around ages.
I can’t recall the last time I noticed a significant mosquito presence in any of the Disney parks. I think it’s more of an issue around Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon (I’ve only really noticed them at Fort Wilderness and on the Ferry to Magic Kingdom), but that’s totally anecdotal on my part.